Rachel Chooses Blaine's Original Song
by IMimelda
Summary: With competition on the line, will the New Directions really risk an untested original song?  Well... if it's REALLY good they might...  Klaine wisdom abounds.    -Chapter 17 posted on May 9, but I'll finish the story soon with any luck!-
1. Chapter 1: The Original

_I got to thinking what would happen if Blaine doesn't realize the impact of his own songwriting prowess, until the show-stopping skill of Rachel's voice and the insightfulness of Kurt's understanding of all things Blaine show him differently…._

_This will be my first time posting chapters in installments one at a time, so I hope I can update each quickly._

_As always, please criticize, suggest, review, edit, at will! Thanks! Oh and I will get to sending messages to everyone who has reviewed my other postings so far… I have incorporated changes based on your feedback and you are awesome!_

(Disclaimer: I do not own nor write for Glee otherwise I would have to move to L.A., and change my whole writing style, so thank goodness for that. I also have absolutely nothing to do with the Darren Criss songs "Not Alone" or "Categories" as mentioned within this story.)

_

* * *

_

Chapter One: The Original.

Rachel was incensed. As she often is. Heads turned momentarily at the surrounding tables at Breadsticks as she raised her voice, "Kurt, you just think that the New Directions are going to win at Regionals and knock _you_ out of the competition. My original song is an _amazing _idea and you just don't want to lose."

"Rachel. That is so not the case. Listen. I will even help you write a song. If you want, I mean. Just to show you that I'm not afraid anyone's going to lose to you at Regionals because of it. I am simply_ right_ when I tell you that it is a bad idea to perform an original song for a competition."

"Well I didn't ask for your help. I was simply informing you that I was going to perform an original song and that you'd better be prepared, because _that_ is what will give us the edge that we need to set us above the competition!"

"No, Rachel… that is what would set you at a disadvantage from the start." Rachel did not look convinced, so Kurt found more words to talk her out of her foolishness. "Think about it Rachel. When people hear a new song on the radio, even from wildly popular artists, it takes them a while to warm up to it. It's only after hearing it a lot that they finally start to really like it. You almost never _love_ a new song the first time you hear it! And the judges at a competition have to love the song first and then love the way you perform it. That's the art of choosing the right songs for competition; you know that."

"I still think that if we blow them away with an original song, they will be even more impressed with us in comparison to everyone else who are only doing covers of other people's songs!"

"I disagree. And it's only because I care about you that I'm trying to convince you of this. Well… that, and I wouldn't want to beat you too easily without the New Directions at least showing a reasonable degree of being actual worthy opponents at Regionals."

Rachel scoffed, looking off toward the door.

"OK listen to me Rachel. I strongly advise you not to try to talk the New Directions into doing this. You often underestimate your influence, and the infectiousness of your energy and passion. People will get behind you if you convince them that you truly believe you can win with an original song. I think you don't realize your own power of persuasion. So I feel I have to stop you for your own good. Because _my_ true belief is that you can't win with an original song. The entire audience and the judges will have to spend most of the time taking in this new song and unknown lyrics, and deciding if they like the lyrics and the tune and even deciding if they can understand the lyrics in the first place… imagine them all worrying about looking like they are enjoying something before knowing what the message is, worrying that maybe the song is talking about something they disagree with or something controversial, and they don't want to have looked like they were condoning something until they know for sure that it's safe for them to approve of it. All of that will completely take their minds away from what they need to focus on in order for you to win, which is your skill and the level of your performance! Believe me, it will start you off at a disadvantage, and I don't know if there's enough time on that stage for you to get past that disadvantage."

They both suddenly became very involved in pushing their pasta around on their plates as Blaine returned to their table. With a little chuckle he asked, "What did I miss?"

"Rachel here is writing an original song. To sing for_ competition!_"

"Ah." Blaine nodded with an understanding grimace.

"Oh I'll show both of you. What do you know?"

"I've even offered to help her write her song but she's not interested. Seriously, Rachel. Let me help you write a song. We'll write a fantastic song that is perfect for you and showcases all your strengths and you can perform it and knock people's socks off. Just not at Regionals. I really don't want to beat you at Regionals just because you're easy prey."

"Ha ha ha Kurt."

"I'd love to see what kind of song the two of you come up with, actually. I think you should do it," Blaine stated, glancing at Kurt and adding "not for competition of course… that is a bit unwise I'd have to agree."

* * *

Back at Dalton the next day, Blaine was getting worried that Kurt hadn't picked up his phone or replied to his text after a couple hours. He'd gotten used to Kurt being the one person who answers a text from him almost immediately. Of course he'd become a total slave to his phone any time it buzzed ever since he met Kurt….

Well it was Sunday and he could have been napping or something, so he sent another text just to check. "Have you had lunch yet? You up for something?"

When there was no reply after 15 minutes, he headed out for Kurt's dorm.

Kurt came to his door at the first knock. You know, there's something about that first split second when someone looks up and sees that it's you. Before they can put on the look they choose, there is an infinitely short "tell" that is gone almost before it appears, when what they truly think of you shows in their eyes. _Ah well, you can't go by that,_ Blaine thought, casting his almost-realization from Kurt's eyes aside. _We decided on Valentine's Day that we will remain friends and I'm sure he's sticking to that just like I am. That's what's safe and best for now. _

"Blaine. How is your Sunday?" He stepped back from the door and gestured to the scruffy and unshaven -_oh my goodness is he trying to kill me looking like this while maintaining we must be just friends- _boy at the threshold. "Would you like to come in?"

He entered the room and saw the keyboard out and what seemed like a hundred crumpled up pieces of paper on the floor. "Heh, it looks like a classic movie scene with a struggling author suffering from writer's block!" Blaine laughed. "I didn't know people actually do that! Crumpling up paper?" More laughter. Kurt looked entirely unappreciative. "Ah, this is why you haven't picked up your phone all morning?"

"Oh, you called? Oh my goodness, where is my phone… I bet it's off! I hope scads of people and Dads and Caroles and such haven't been trying to reach me…"

As he searched his desk and bookbag for his phone, Blaine checked out the notebook on the keyboard with the one bit of writing that had escaped crumpling thus far. "Rachel's song, is it?"

"Well, no. Not yet. It seems neither one of us can come up with anything interesting. You should hear the stuff she emailed to me last night after midnight! Oh for sophomoric blather! Well at least I guess the crisis is averted for now, and the New Directions will have to stick with some time-tested show-stoppers at Regionals after all. Phew."

"I kind of like what you have here, Kurt… can you play me what you were thinking for the music to it?"

"Yeah, I know… sorry… I can't write music, unfortunately. I usually just record myself once I have something I want to remember. And I warn you… I only play a little bit because of forced piano lessons as a child."

Kurt played pretty darn well actually, if you asked Blaine, and his song was quite pretty. "Not really an anthem to fit the theme of Regionals… but it's the beginnings of a nice song, Kurt. You just might have a talent for this after all!"

Kurt pushed him jokingly, "_After all_?" Blaine caught Kurt's shoulder as an automatic reaction but quickly turned it into shoving Kurt playfully right back in response, then coming up close right into his face with "After all these papers all over the floor! That's what."

Keeping his face in proper gangster-movie-style confrontational closeness with Blaine's, he said, "Maybe that's my process. Hmmmm?"

"Hmmmm!" came the reply from Blaine's gorgeous smirk, but failing to be very gangster-like, it sounded to Kurt a bit like something… kinda… um… sexy. And Blaine must have felt that a bit too, because he quickly broke away and looked back at the notebook and took to the keys himself, adding a little bit of embellishment to the tune Kurt had played, singing the song softly and making it sound actually a bit more like an anthem.

"Wow how did you do that?"

"I just changed a couple of the words…"

"Blaine, you totally changed the whole tone and meaning of the entire chorus… and the chorus is everything I've written so far! You did it in like 40 seconds flat. How did you do that? Do you write?"

"A little bit. Hey, do you want to get some lunch? I'm starving and I think you'll need some sustenance if you hope to come up with anything Rachel would want to belt out!"

* * *

A/N - _Feel free to criticize, suggest, comment at will! Thanks!_


	2. Chapter 2: An Anthem

_Yeah, blurring the lines between fact and fiction just a tiny bit in a part of this chapter… well not really blurring lines, as much as borrowing some facts from a real person and giving them to a fictional character who blurrily is, in that fictional character's original form, played by the actor (and songwriter) from whom the facts roughly stem... Ah, you'll see. It's only in one paragraph: the explanation of the background of the song. Since it's fan fiction about a fictional character, it's so far removed much like a photocopy of a copy of a copy, that it somehow works out OK I think. More like a nod to the works of art from the real people who inspire the fan fiction in the first place._

(Main Disclaimer copied at top of each chapter to be safe: I do not own Glee and I absolutely do not have anything to do with the Darren Criss songs "Not Alone" and "Categories" as mentioned within this story.)

* * *

**Chapter 2: An Anthem**

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but it sounds like maybe you've written an anthem or two yourself."

"Why do you say that?" Blaine took up the tray of lunch debris to return their dishes to the kitchen.

"Well, when I asked what your idea of an anthem is, you didn't give a bunch of examples of songs I would know from Broadway and the radio; you went into a deconstruction on components of a song, the way a songwriter or composer would."

Blaine merely shrugged as Kurt followed him to the front of the cafeteria to put their tray on the conveyor belt back to the kitchen.

Kurt decided to push a little further. "So… what are these songs of yours that could be considered anthems, Blaine? You can tell _me_!" He nudged Blaine's arm with his elbow and gave him a super-cute puppy-dog look that wasn't seen, for which he ended up being grateful. _Aargh don't be so stupid Kurt, people who are Just Friends don't give each other cutesy looks. Can I at least TRY to be cool?_

Thankfully oblivious, but not to imply that he was at all immune to Kurt's always-without-even-trying super-cute (well, gorgeous) looks, Blaine answered, "I actually don't know if anyone writes a song intending for it to be an anthem. Well, I mean of course they do sometimes, like A.R. Rahman writing a new National Anthem for India and things like that. But the kinds of anthems we're talking about, to fit the theme for Regionals, are songs that were just written as songs and then took on a meaning to people that became like an anthem for some ideal or group or way of thinking or so forth. They become like an anthem solely because of the reaction of the listeners, not at the direction of the writers."

"OK, now I _know_ you have to know this from experience with one or more of your songs. I can tell." Kurt stopped right in the middle of the hallway to make an impact. "So please tell me and I won't think you're being immodest or anything. What song that you wrote became like an anthem to someone else? I'm not moving until you tell me."

Blaine could only laugh at Kurt's seriousness. "Alright, come on and I'll play it for you."

* * *

On the weekends, pretty much the only person in the Main Entrance Hall reception area for most of the day was the receptionist herself. She answered the phone, which rarely rang on weekends, and read novels and did her nails and wrote personal emails and shopped online to pass the time.

Perhaps about once every couple hours she greeted a visitor or two, usually parents stopping by to pick someone up, and they were used to walking right past her on their way to the student dorms (not that they didn't stop to greet her, just that they knew by now her efficiency and that they did not need to wait until after she finished calling the student's room before they proceeded toward the dorms) so she was delighted for the interruption as she saw the two boys approaching her in the middle of the day.

"Charlotte, how is your Sunday treating you?" Kurt asked.

Putting down her novel, she smiled at two of her favorite students and asked how they were doing.

Blaine warmed her heart with his dazzling and truly genuine smile as he asked, "Will it bother you if we play the piano in the reception hall?"

"Oh my goodness, why would it bother me? I'll even turn off my radio in the hopes that I'll be able to hear it a little bit all the way out here!"

With a warm laugh, Blaine thanked her and threw an arm over Kurt's shoulders to head off to the hall.

Charlotte had to stop herself from giggling out loud with happiness at the fact that all the boys feel so comfortable around her that they will do things like throw their arm around a boyfriend (_oh are these two boyfriends now?_) in front of her. Ah, the world is a good place at times like this. At that thought, a tear almost came to her eye. In fact, a couple may have.

She actually did turn off her radio in case she could hear the sound of that piano wafting out from the reception hall, which was always regrettably empty between actual functions and receptions.

* * *

As he sat down at the piano, with Kurt joining him on the piano bench not remembering to worry about how close to his crush he ended up settling, Blaine exposited, "I wrote this song for a songwriting contest actually. It was just a song. I mean I really liked the way it turned out. There was certainly a lot of heart behind it when I wrote it. But… what happened was that some of my friends liked the song so much they used it in a production, and tons of people took the song and the lyrics to heart from that and said it gave them strength in hard times and so forth, and then I played it at a fundraiser for a 24-hour suicide prevention hotline, and some people mentioned that it felt like I had given the song to that community as kind of an anthem for that night and that cause. So, what I'm saying is that it wasn't written to be any kind of anthem, but people kind of felt it that way, so I guess it is an anthem now. To some people at least."

Kurt gave him a stern look. "Blaine, it sounds like you're being too modest about this. If people say it's an anthem, then it is. Don't play it down. Now I absolutely have to hear this song."

* * *

The great oak doors at the main entrance swung open in such a way that Charlotte almost expected the voice of the Great Wizard of Oz to announce the entrance of this girl walking with such grandeur and with such an enormous presence it was almost a shock to see how slight she actually was in stature when she made her way closer to the reception desk.

Rachel's first words were, "I would like to be announced as a visitor to Kurt Hummel, please."

Sincerely not knowing whether to be offended by this directness or amused by it, Charlotte gave a friendly smile and dialed Kurt's room number before remembering that she had only minutes earlier seen him walking off with Blaine toward the reception hall directly across the lobby.

"_I've been alone,  
Surrounded by darkness,  
I've seen how heartless,  
The world can be." _

_A smooth and velvety voice was wafting across the marble and oak space and Rachel's attention was suddenly on nothing else._

Charlotte began to ask Rachel if she could give her name so that she could locate Kurt and let him know she is waiting for him, but Rachel seemed not to hear her at all.

"_I've seen you crying,  
You felt like it's hopeless,  
I'll always do my best,  
To make you see..." _

[[*A/N – please get the song on iTunes or check it out online, as Darren Criss is the last artist in the world whose work and copyright I would want to infringe upon! Therefore I'll try not to type in too much of his lyrics here. "Not Alone" by Darren Criss. Thanks!]]

Rising to make her way to the reception hall to let Kurt know he had a visitor, Charlotte asked Rachel again, "Would you like to sit in the lounge while I let Kurt know that you're here?" as Rachel was already gravitating toward the hall.

"_Baby you're not alone,  
'Cause you're here with me," _

It seemed there was no catching Rachel's attention after several attempts of "Miss?" "Miss would you like to sit…" "Ah, whatever." So Charlotte picked up her novel and sat back down, enjoying the sound of the piano and the lovely voice accompanying it, figuring this girl was harmless and the boys were in the _reception_ hall after all and perfectly capable of receiving a guest therein on their own.

"_And nothing's ever gonna bring us down,  
'__Cause nothing can keep me from loving you,_  
And you know it's true,  
It don't matter what'll come to be,  
Our love is all we need to make it through." 

Since Rachel was in the habit of wearing ballet slipper style shoes, it was not difficult to slip into the back of the hall without disturbing the boys at the piano. She chose a chair near the entrance and sat transfixed at this voice and these lyrics and the soul-altering composition of this song.

By the time the lyrics came to the point of the singer emphasizing how much this love in turn gives him the same strength, with, "_All I need is to look in your eyes, And I realize, Baby I'm not alone, 'Cause you're here with me,_" the tears welling in Rachel's eyes broke free with a blink and she did nothing to wipe them from her cheeks as she continued to listen.

Across the way, Charlotte's eyes were again at risk of tears as she got the meaning of this song for those two boys, coming of age in a world not as welcoming as she wished it would be.

"_And nothing's ever gonna take us down,  
'Cause nothing can keep me from loving you,  
And you know it's true,  
It don't matter what'll come to be,  
Our love is all we need to make it through." _

As Blaine brought the song gradually through closing repeats and hums, Kurt felt his heart tearing in two wanting so badly to kiss this man he was so in love with more and more each day especially after hearing what his heart can create in a song like this, but being forced to come up with a way to praise this song as a completely platonic friend would. _Oh how I am living through this I do not know. _

He didn't end up having to figure this out, as Rachel made it to the piano even as the last note was still reverberating from the baby grand.

"Did. You. Write. That.?"

Both boys startled instantly at the unexpected sudden presence of another person. "Rachel!" Kurt sounded almost angered at first, but it was only from shock. He recovered quickly and rose to greet her with a hug. "What brings you all the way to Dalton?"

* * *

A/N:

_Edits, grumbles, warnings, criticisms, ideas? Love 'em, all of them! Whatever you're thinking! Thanks!_


	3. Chapter 3: Sunshine and Rain

_Here it is, Chapter 3! I'm hoping to get the 4__th__ and 5__th__ out before the week takes me over and ties my typing hands…. waaahhhh. *teardrops on keyboard for being torn away from computer* heehee_

(Main Disclaimer copied at top of each chapter to be safe: I do not own Glee and I absolutely do not have anything to do with the Darren Criss songs "Not Alone" and "Categories" as mentioned within this story.)

_OH, and if anyone remembers the name of the piano player, let me know! I have to pull up the episode when Rachel sings "My Poker Face" with Idina Menzel because she says his name in that episode. Rachel calls out "Keith!" and he suddenly appears. Although I can't remember what name she actually calls out! Thanks! _

** -UPDATE: Thanks, Marte... that's it! Brad! Turns out his name in real life is Brad Ellis... **he has albums out with the "Brad Ellis Little Big Band" and he composes for Broadway, tv, movies, and arranges for classical orchestras and jazz! Awesome!

_

* * *

_

**Chapter 3: Sunshine and Rain**

On Wednesday afternoon, with Blaine comfortably sprawled out reading on the window seat in Kurt's dorm room, Kurt listened on the phone as Rachel gushed about how "wonderful and professional" the glee club sounded once they all learned the arrangement of the song that she and the piano player Brad had worked out for them. "That Brad just always seems to appear in the choir room or the auditorium the minute anyone ever needs him, doesn't he?" Kurt commented.

"I know. It's uncanny. And he's a really good arranger, too. You should hear how we're doing Blaine's song! I mean it's mostly me singing the main parts, but _here_ and _there_, anyway, everyone comes in and it's like having a gospel choir behind me the way he set the harmonies!"

Kurt didn't mean to let out an audible laugh, but Rachel did in fact think that he was laughing at her when it was only that he had turned to notice Blaine all stretched out asleep in the sunshine on the window seat, his book having fallen onto his chest and his arm hanging down to the floor.

"Oh I wasn't laughing at anything you said, I'm sorry Rachel. It was just… There's… a cat in my room. Apparently. A very cute one."

"What?"

"Oh it's nothing. Go on, Rachel. I'm listening." As he said this, he was carefully picking up Blaine's arm and placing it into a position across him that would result in much less muscle pain upon awaking than if he left it at the mercy of gravity as it was. He wasn't a cat, after all, who could sleep like that with no repercussions.

Rachel did go on, of course. "It's pretty cool actually, because in the harmonies, at certain times you can really hear Artie's voice, and then Finn's becomes more prominent, and then you notice Mercedes more than anyone else, and then at another time it's all Santana floating over everyone else even though as a whole you're hearing it all together like it's just hitting a pretty chord. It's REALLY nice, Kurt, I can't wait for you guys to come hear it! Are you coming down next weekend, can you make it early on Friday maybe and stop by McKinley during our rehearsal?"

"I don't think so, Rachel. But we'll see. Maybe you can make everyone have an 'emergency extra rehearsal' on a Saturday. You can tell them that the Warblers are working on something so mind-blowing that you're afraid there's no way you can possibly beat us!"

"Uuuhh, OK, I think I gotta go now, Kurt!"

"Oh you wimp, you can't even come up with a stunning reply!"

"Sorry Kurt, it's getting REALLY LOUD in here! I have the hair dryer on. I'm going through a tunnel!"

Blaine roused a bit when Kurt laughed out loud, and was shaking his sleepy head propped up on his elbow blinking up at Kurt, by the time the phone was being returned onto its charger.

Smiling over at him, Kurt made his way to the window and knelt down next to Blaine. "Are you sure you're completely happy with the New Directions performing your song?"

"Yeah. I think it's a huge compliment. I love that they're performing it. They'll make it sound really great I'm sure. They tend to always come together and make everything they do their own, and it usually rocks. Right?"

Kurt reached up, about to smooth a couple of Blaine's curls back into the rest of his oh-so-silky-looking hair before he caught himself, -_stop thinking about silky hair! OMG I almost ran my fingers through it and friends do not do that, for goodness sake- _and picked up the book that was in danger of getting crumpled behind Blaine, instead. "Um… Oh, the New Directions. Yeah. They do. They will. They'll make it sound awesome. But Blaine, they seriously might actually end up doing it for Regionals. Would that really be OK with you? It's a big venue with a really large audience."

As Kurt leaned over toward the desk to put the book down, Blaine looked a bit disappointed to lose the close proximity they had shared for those moments, but by the time Kurt turned back around, his face only showed a sleepy grin to accompany his response, "Sure, sure. That will be totally cool. I'm happy to have them do _YAWN_… um…"

Kurt couldn't help but laugh out loud again as Blaine turned back into a cat with a huge lazy stretch. He seriously wanted to rub his tummy or something. _Cats don't like that though, do they? Puppies, then. Boy do I need to stop thinking about Blaine like this. Cats and puppies now. WHAT is wrong with me?_ He stood and walked across the room to get back to his pile of books and resume the studying they were supposed to be doing.

Blaine followed him with his gaze as Kurt moved across the room, marveling at the way he always looks more like a dancer than anything else when he walks… and he closed his eyes again with a smile.

* * *

"Waiter? There is too much pepper in my poppycosh." There was no waiter in sight, so why Blaine was saying this to Kurt was beyond Rachel.

"Poppycosh," Kurt replied, to which Blaine also replied again, "POPPYCOSH!" Finn looked over at Rachel and then around the restaurant as though some clue might be hidden somewhere that would make sense of this sudden turn in the conversation.

"But I would be proud to partake of your pecan pie." Rachel and Finn looked at each other again, to check to see if the other understood what Blaine was going on about.

Kurt laughed and replied, "Pecan Piiiiie," to which Blaine replied with an even more drawn-out "Pecaaaan Piiiiie"

"Pecaaaaan Piiiiiiiiiiiiiiie" Kurt got out again before Finn demanded, "What are you guys _talking _about?"

"It's from _When Harry Met Sally_, haven't you ever seen it?" Kurt asked, as Rachel and Finn looked at each other and shrugged again, Finn saying to Rachel, "I thought maybe they just have their own secret language now."

"They kind of do." Rachel whispered. "Do you think anyone else around here knows anything from _When Harry Met Sally_? I don't."

"You're just lucky we didn't do the diner scene." Kurt said, which made both boys double over in laughter on their side of the booth.

"See?" Rachel said gesturing toward them, making her point.

As Burt and Carole returned to the booth, the boys were just finishing their description of what the diner scene is all about in the movie, so all four of them were laughing and talking and laughing some more and looking so happy, which was Carole's absolute favorite thing in the world. To see her children and their friends simply enjoying life. She also couldn't help but notice that her son always looks happiest when he's next to Rachel, and the fact that at this particular moment she was obviously finding excuses to grab his arm or slap his thigh through the laughter, and most notably the fact that Finn so quickly moved away from her when he saw his mother coming... Carole wasn't sure but it looked like he had been resting a hand on Rachel's knee, probably also with the excuse of holding onto each other from all the laughter.

"So, what are you kids talking about?" Burt asked as he scooted in after Carole, draping an arm over her shoulders.

Kurt shook his head with one last chuckle and said, "Oh, it's nothing Dad…. So what does it look like outside? Is it still cats and dogs?"

"And lighting and thunder, yeah. I think it's not gonna let up any time soon, so we'd better just run for it."

As they all stood under the Breadsticks awning and glared out unbelieving at the ferocity of the downpour, Kurt realized that everyone but he and Blaine were in nice clothing, whereas the two of them were only in the same old indestructible Dalton Academy uniforms and sneakers, so the solution was quite obvious.

"Blaine and I can run to the car and bring it around. There's no sense in all of us getting soaked."

There were mild protests all around of "oh no you don't have to do that" and so forth, but they were pretty much futile, as the two boys gave each other a quick glance and bolted off before anyone could finish whatever they were saying.

Skidding to a stop over the gravel parking lot, Blaine caught Kurt around the waist to stop him before crashing into the side of the car. It was Blaine who ended up crashing into the car, as he spun Kurt out of the way. This caused much laughter on Kurt's part, and brought on a few friendly punches from Blaine in retaliation for laughing at him.

After trying several times to get the key to work in the door through the pouring rain, Blaine piped up with, "Um, Kurt… isn't that your Dad's car over there?"

Kurt turned and looked up into Blaine's face streaked with unrelenting rain bands, and after one, two, three beats, burst into laughter. Blaine grabbed his shoulders in a move to get the two of them running off to the correct car, but in that gravel, it was more of a feet-stuck-in-wet-gravel, so hands-on-shoulders-only-sinks-you-deeper kind of a situation, and that inertia hit both boys in a way that maybe the rain intensified or the whole past day and night culminated in this kind of a sweet moment suddenly, and they moved closer, eyes locked, and at the moment when they couldn't move any closer without kissing, Blaine's look turned inquisitive and Kurt returned the look, and then gave a little nod of acceptance.

When they kissed, the rain sheeted down their faces and even though that meant they drank a little rain water each time they tasted one another's lips, it didn't change their kiss into anything more passionate or intense than they intended. It was simply a sweet and tender kiss between two boys who wanted to express a moment of sudden understanding. Blaine's lips felt so soft that Kurt melted and forgot that it was raining at all.

The rain did eventually remind them that they had to get to the car, however, as it was actually difficult to breathe out there without getting rain into the lungs at the moment.

Once in the car, both of them looked down at the dashboard and wondered what to say next. To Kurt, it didn't seem like it was the definite beginning of anything, or a sudden change of everything. It seemed like just… another thing they shared, and what it will mean in terms of… anything… was still up in the air.

He looked up and caught Blaine's eyes contemplating him as well.

Blaine spoke first. "Kurt, when you had to transfer because of what you were going through at school, I was so happy to be someone you could talk to. I didn't have that. You know I went through almost the same thing last year. If I had had someone like you back then to talk to it would have changed my whole life. I love that I can be that for you. But I don't know if you realize how much you are _that_ for me now too. What I didn't have last year… a friend who not only cared about me and sympathized, but one who truly _gets_ it… well you're that for me now."

Kurt smiled and moved to rest his head on Blaine's shoulder and felt as Blaine breathed into his wet hair.

"You're my first and only friend who has ever truly understood what it's like to… go through the things we go through. And now that I have that, I can't imagine my world without it. Without you. As that kind of friend and support. I can't do anything to risk losing that. What we are to each other."

Kurt looked back up at him and made sure Blaine's eyes were steady with his before he informed him without hesitation, "Oh, Blaine. I am here for you. You know that. I will _always_ be. No matter what."

The hug they shared was a very friendly hug. Friendly. Kurt felt bad to be disappointed at that, as though he was a bad friend to think less of a hug that stood for solidarity and understanding and unmitigated support. But, he got over the guilty feeling and melted right into that hug, thinking, _well, fiercely devoted friends… that's what we are anyway, and that's a good thing to remain, isn't it? _and as if in reply, Blaine buried his face in Kurt's neck with a soft sigh.

"We'd better go pick everyone up, they'll be shivering under the awning wondering where we are," Kurt managed to force himself to say after a few moments, even though he'd prefer to let this guy rest exactly where he was for as long as he could possibly wish.

* * *

_A/N - Boy, these guys are getting adorable. It's not even me making them that way! They just... are, and I'm trying to follow along as best I can..._

_(Never fear dear readers... our boys are not really as clueless as they think they are in moments of insecurity...)_

And please let me know if you have absolutely any feedback of any sort. Criticism or random thoughts also welcomed and loved.


	4. Chapter 4: Another Song

_(Disclaimer: I do not own Glee and I absolutely do not have anything to do with the Darren Criss songs "Not Alone" and "Categories," nor with the Toto song "Africa" mentioned within this story.)_

_*Thanks for the Brad info, Marte, if you didn't see the changes I made to the last chapter! I looked him up, and I'm so glad to be aware of the talents of the amazing Brad Ellis now!_

_*Hi to Angie, and hello to your friend in San Francisco too! Great job translating. It was just the way an American would have written that message. I was going to say that it would be Totally Awesome if they had Darren Criss write a couple songs for Glee, because he'd be great at writing something in the style of what Rachel would tend to write, or in the style of what Blaine would tend to write (he could do that in his sleep, he's such a versatile songwriter and composer) (am I hero-worshipping here? Probably. Yup.) but it actually does make much more sense for the writers and creators (Ryan Murphy et al) to write the songs themselves, since they know exactly what they're looking to convey, and they are music producers after all. Besides, they always tend to come up with things FAR better than anyone else could have imagined! Tonight's episode? Who saw ANY of that coming? Sheer genius. Perfect. You authors outside the U.S. will LOVE it when you see it! You can't wait. Trust me. Ah, but they still can never give us ENOUGH of what we are compelled to write into life here in fan fiction land… Klaine Klaine Klaine, right? So… here we go…!_

_Sorry about the delay in getting this chapter out._

_

* * *

_

**Chapter 4: Another Song**

The glow from the computer screen on Kurt's alabaster complexion currently lacking its usual rosy tints made him look much more sleepy than he actually thought he was.

After a long day of classes he was trying to get as much studying done as possible before Warblers practice. However, when a chat message popped up on his screen from Mercedes, asking what happened with Blaine at Breadsticks last night, he was surprised to notice how much more awake he could suddenly become.

His alertness kept increasing, along with his mental acuity, the more he chatted back and forth with her about his conversation with Blaine the night before and the other happenings in the pouring rain.

**Wait so you're glossing over the best part here, Kurt. You didn't want him to stop doing **_**what**_** when you had to start the car? Did you just type that you liked the way his breath was warm on your **_**neck**_**? What was he doing at the time, Kurt?**

Oh, calm down, he was only resting his head. He had brought his head down to rest you know, not on my shoulder, but more like in my neck. It was nothing. It was just a sweet friendly thing to do during that kind of a hug after the nature of what we had been discussing. All I was trying to say to you was that it was so nice when he sort of sighed and relaxed in, so I didn't even want to start the car or do anything that would make him move. But that was just ME, Mercedes. I'm sure he was only being a friend in a friendly hug, that's all.

**Kurt. I don't get why you think last night established that you should stay Just Friends. People who are trying to be just friends do NOT bury their face in a friend's neck and proceed to breathe or sigh or anything of that sort into the friend's neck. You do know this, don't you?**

Well Mercedes, we're just like that. We've always been just friends, and we've always done little things that are kind of touchy-feely or whatnot… it just doesn't always mean the same kinds of things that you think it should mean.

**Whatever, Kurt. I think you should just kiss him again and see what happens. I bet Blaine won't be able to stop kissing you next time. But hey, that's just me. Don't listen to your best friend if you don't want to!**

"Whoah, Kurt, it's almost dark out already, why don't you turn a light on?" Blaine had seen Kurt's open door with the light from the hall streaming into the darkening room rather than the other way around. He flipped the light switch on for him as Kurt typed out a quick "Gotta Go!" message to Mercedes and clicked out of the chat to get it off his screen before Blaine could see his name typed there.

Blaine walked over after Kurt smiled at him. "Man, you looked like you were in a trance about to be taken over by the computer in some kind of sci-fi horror movie. I think you're studying too hard again."

"Yeah, that must be it. Oh my, is it time for Warblers already?"

Glancing at his pocket watch, (Kurt almost melted every time he saw that gesture. It was so… _old fashioned_ and stylish) Blaine reported that it was still early enough for them to go get a snack or do something to wake Kurt up before practice.

"I am perfectly awake. Why would you think otherwise?"

Blaine stroked a hand along Kurt's cheek, saying, "I guess it must have been the lighting in here when I first looked in. You look pretty good to me right now. But how about that snack anyway?" He flashed his best _come on you know you want to_ expression, and Kurt was a goner.

It didn't occur to Kurt to relate that -_Friendly?_- caress back to what Mercedes had said, since his brain tends to shut down momentarily whenever Blaine touches him, which was also the case in the hall when they were heading for practice with their half-empty bag of Cheetos when Blaine reached up laughing at him and brushed some orange crumbs off the side of Kurt's mouth.

* * *

SPLASH!

The door to the choir room swung open and Artie, Tina and Rachel looked up to see none other than Brittany walk in with her arms held out to each side, blue and green Slushie leaving a multi-colored trail along the floor as she walked into the room with her head bent down, her hair also dripping Slushie along the floor. "Brittany!" Santana yelled as she crashed through the doors after her friend. The rest of them jumped up to go to her, but stopped short as she picked her head up and shook her hair out like a dog, and they saw that she was doing a whole lot of giggling. "That's cold. And tingly! Heeeheee that was fun!"

"Brittany," Artie started, with a stern and almost castigating tone, about to let her in on the fact that this incident should have been humiliating and awful and ask her if she was OK and offer her some sympathy, but all his plans simply got thrown out the window when he realized she really did think it was a fun experience, and who is he to make her feel any differently than how she naturally does, which to him, after all, is completely and utterly charming. "Come here, girl" is all he said next, and threw his arms out inviting her to hug him, Slushie ice and all.

Santana giggled and hugged Brittany from behind as well, joined by Tina throwing her arms around them all.

As the rest of the New Directions filtered into the room and took in this soggy and colorful scene, Rachel crossed her arms in front of her and said, "People. If the likes of _Brittany_ are getting Slushied now, we are in serious trouble. It is getting worse out there. _What_ do they want from us?"

"They want us all to be good little nerds and hide in the shadows, or else conform to exactly the way the average Cheerio or football player acts and dresses and, I don't know," Tina tried.

Artie pulled his head back from Brittany's giggling kisses on his cheek to ask, "Who Slushied you, Brit?"

"Heehee! Slushieed? That's what it's called? That's so cuuute!" Everyone looked at Britanny as she said this, with looks on their faces that could only mean _is it really possible for her to have been that oblivious all this time? _

Santana filled him in, "It was a couple of bottom-row-of-the-pyramid Cheerios, and they said '_have fun in GLEE CLUB, dor_k' when they did it. The total loser idiots. I mean, who says 'dork' anyway? What dorks!"

Mercedes started to reach out to touch Santana's arm since the girl looked like she was about to snap, but she stopped short when she noticed that perhaps she had already snapped and it may be the last time she sees her hand if she touches that live wire. As she watched Santana in this moment, she couldn't help but notice that there was definitely something else going on in this girl's head besides defending her friend. Her face had pain and a very-rare-for-Santana vulnerability in it, which made Mercedes feel like reaching out to her even more though she knew it would do no good. It was how Brittany looked when she clung to Artie that made Santana look at Brittany as though she'd lost something precious and was perhaps realizing it for the first time.

Puck almost pushed Mercedes out of the way to grab Santana into a hug, but he got a swift shove to the chest and a "Back off, Cassanova!" from Santana, followed by "Just because I'm pissed off at some dumb Cheerios doesn't mean you should swoop in and pretend to help so you can get a little somethin'-somethin' for yourself!"

It was not lost on Artie that it seemed a little out of character for her to brush off Puck so quickly and soundly.

Santana took Brittany off to the restroom to get her to at least wash off her face and hair, Puck stalked to the back of the room to sit by himself and brood, and the rest of them explained it to Mr. Schuster who had just passed the two girls on his way in to the choir room with a huge _what the heck is going on here_ expression on his confused face.

"You know, I think it _is_ getting worse lately," Tina mentioned. "In math class yesterday, Ms. Clark made me take off my spider web pattern scarf because she said it was distracting, and when I said that was ridiculous, nobody sided with me! I couldn't believe it."

Rachel said, "Well I think it's time we show them that we will not be intimidated, and really shout out our bold individuality!"

Mike nodded his head in a mild-mannered and completely supportive way, (as he always does) but everyone else looked a bit worried.

"No, I mean on stage. Like at Regionals!"

Now most of them (except Puck and Finn, who reserved the right to hold off on reacting in any way until after they'd heard the whole story) began to lean forward in their seats a bit, interested.

"I think we should show that we are not hiding our uniqueness or conforming to anyone else's status quo, but we are instead celebrating our differences and our unique fabulousness!"

Artie asked, as Brittany returned and sat in his lap before Mr. Schuster gave her a look that made her slide over to sit in the chair next to him instead, "How do we do that in a song on stage? Like… act it out or something?"

"No, silly. We'll pick a song in which each one of us can individually shine! Each person can have solo lines and dancing parts and whatever star talent makes us unique! I mean of course, I'll probably have to sing most of the melody, just to give it continuity and all," (eye rolls all around the room at this, along with a groan from Santana and a scoff out of Puck) "but it will be one big group of people all supporting each other's individuality!"

Mercedes kicked in with, "No, guys. I see her point. I think it really could work. We could figure out how to each take different lines in a song and totally make sense with it. It could be like a bunch of people on stage, all looking like they're total misfits or too different for their own good, but then you put it all together, and they're all showing total solidarity for the concept of staying true to your individuality."

Finn asked, "I thought we were doing Blaine's song for Regionals. It's awesome."

"Yeah, we ROCK that song," Rachel answered. "Of course we're doing it for Regionals. It makes us sound gorgeous, and it's truly moving. But we need something to follow it that will knock their socks off, like a one-two punch!"

* * *

Kurt was _finally_ singing a solo in one of the songs the Warblers rehearsed tonight. It was one of the classics of all classic songs done by acapella groups, Toto's "Africa." Kurt and Kenny took the leads on this one, and it was smooth and rich and beautiful.

Kenny was a natural bass, but was singing in a low tenor, almost baritone range for the song, and Kurt was bringing his voice down to the same, so each brought a unique and interesting quality to the same notes. They switched off practically every other line, from Kenny's opening "_I hear the drums echoing tonight,_" to Kurt's final "_Hurry boy, it's waiting there for you,_" with the rest of the Warblers bursting into instant perfect tight eight-part harmony, joining Kenny and Kurt who held prominent notes floating above the Warblers all along the chorus,

_"It's gonna take a lot to drag me away from you,  
There's nothing that a hundred men or more could ever do,  
I bless the rains down in Africa,  
Gonna take some time to do the things we never have."_

Blaine seemed unable to stop his eyes from shutting in rapt appreciation at the sound of Kurt's voice blending incredibly with Kenny's every time they joined together which they did on the long-held words at the end of a few of the lines. It was just that Kurt's voice... did something to his poor heart. Ah, this is what fangirls mean when they say a famous singer's voice makes them melt.

Kurt loved the quality of all their voices blending together as one well-tuned instrument, but he had been shot down yet again last week when he had brought up how great they sounded and performed at the Gap Attack, the way they let loose and danced and sang with more abandon than they normally do in performance. He had the audacity to suggest that they try to imbue that spirit into their regular performances, and it was the opinion of the majority of Warblers to keep their sound as-is. Their regular sound is what is expected by everyone in the audience who respects and is impressed by their long tradition of excellence. _Oh boy, whatever that means!_

This evening, as they went through all their drills that got them into such perfect step with each other and created such gorgeous and perfectly executed harmonies, Kurt's mind kept getting drawn back to the other choir room, the one at McKinley where his crazy and wacky friends could spend those few precious hours together within those particular doors, just letting their hair down and being entirely themselves. No matter what crazy came out of any one of them during each rehearsal, they all supported each other. All their crazy only added to the spirit of that club. He was feeling very lonely for those friends right now.

This almost-undetectable brooding was not lost on Blaine. As they were leaving practice, he leaned into Kurt's shoulder as a way of giving him a nudge, and asked, "Hey, what was weighing on your mind in there tonight?"

"Oh, nothing. Maybe I was just tired after all."

"Come on, Kurt. I can tell when something's bothering you."

"No really, I'm perfectly fine."

"Alright. Let's get a bite to eat; it'll make _me_ feel better. I have some mac and cheese up in the third floor lounge we can whip up!"

"Blaine, how is it that you are always thinking about food? How much can one guy eat in a day?"

"Hey, I'm a growing boy!"

Kurt checked out his toned arms as he gestured to come along, and his –_ugh… perfect _shoulders, and _oh my gosh_ that chest he has yet to get a real glimpse of but the way even a button up shirt can't help but cling to certain shapes and contours there, _gulp stop looking Kurt_, he had to agree, yes, he is a growing boy indeed, in all the right athletic ways. _OK I must find a way to stop thinking like this!_

"Are you coming? I don't want to let you go back into a trance in front of your computer again and risk losing you to some evil cyber world forever!"

* * *

Over mac and cheese, (Blaine actually eating his and Kurt pushing his around the bowl with a fork) Blaine coaxed the confessions out of Kurt that he was missing the unmitigated creative expression of his friends in glee club, and the way they all just act so entirely like themselves around each other, and he even managed to get Kurt to spill that was feeling a little stifled by the homogenous conformity of the Warblers. Blaine suggested that last part, and Kurt merely admitted that he was right.

Blaine wanted to show that he completely understood, and it was causing the most uncomfortable squeezing of his heart to see the wistful look on Kurt's face in this moment. He ached to change that look, and didn't even think to stop himself from reaching out to run his hands alongside Kurt's face and let his thumbs seek to smooth out that beautiful and should-never-be-furrowed forehead. He gave him a small smile, which Kurt briefly returned but quickly broke eye contact and looked back to the untouched mac and cheese.

They washed their dishes and returned them to the shelves, and talked about the different large personalities of everyone in Kurt's old glee club. "The thing is, they support each other when they're together, because in the halls of that school, everyone is constantly being forced into some kind of box or group or label."

"Categories."

"Yeah. I guess. But they, _we,_ don't want to have to be just any one thing," Kurt finished his train of thought, "so when we're together we get to be all that we truly are, and that's really… nice."

Blaine was drying the last dish and didn't notice when Kurt sank down onto a chair looking miserable after the next thing he said, "We get put into categories all the time, I guess because that's the way our brains work. We want to categorize things."

Noticing, he pulled another chair over to sit next to him and rub Kurt's back, saying, "Oh, no Kurt, I'm trying to say that I don't think anyone should even have any category. I like to think that I really have no category. I like to think that none of us do." He ran his fingernails soothingly back and forth across Kurt's back and asked, "Hey, what's wrong?"

"Oh, I suppose I'm just melancholy tonight. I'll get over it." He looked up into Blaine's eyes, and this time when he had the urge to move some curls back into the rest of Blaine's silky mane, he didn't stop himself. _I guess we're just friends who can run our fingers through each others' hair, and rub each others' backs, which he's been doing for a WHILE now actually, and it's kind of more than just a friendly caress, it's more like… maybe we're friends who can kiss too… ugh, that's too far… whatever, we don't have to figure this out right this second. I'm just not going to stop doing this if he doesn't have to stop doing that…_

"Do you want me to play you the song?" Blaine asked, pulling Kurt out of the reverie he was having with Blaine's surprisingly soft hair.

"What song is that?"

"Oh I guess I didn't say. I have a song all about how we put people into categories. Since I don't like that we do, it's kind of my love note to _that_ idea," he said with just enough sarcasm to make his point.

Kurt let his fingers work their way down that gorgeous hair until they rested on Blaine's neck and then continued to his jaw and under his chin to tilt his head up to make eye contact again. "OK. Let's go." _Why am I not bold enough to figure this out RIGHT NOW? And pull him into figuring it out right along with me._

* * *

While Blaine was moving his piles of books and papers off the couch in his room, Kurt paused in the middle of the room for a moment and looked like he was remembering something. "Blaine, Can I ask you something?"

"Sure," Blaine said, gesturing for him to come join him on the sufficient amount of sitting area he had cleared.

"It's something I've been wanting to ask you about for a while, actually. Do you remember on Valentine's Day, when you said…"

Blaine interrupted him, while dropping his head into his hands, "Ugh, Kurt… Can we pretend that never happened? I had no idea what I was saying. I don't even remember what I was babbling about. I must have sounded like such an idiot."

"Oh, Blaine… No… That's not… No, I was only thinking about when you said you worked for theme parks. I've been wondering ever since, where you worked, which park, what you did..."

"Ah! _That_ I can talk about all day! Well, actually, the one that made a huge difference to me was one I didn't even actually _work_ at. Disney. My brother was in the college program at Disney's Animal Kingdom last summer, and I went to spend a month with him in Orlando, so we could share an apartment instead of him staying in the college program housing." By this time, Blaine was resting his head on Kurt's shoulder as he reminisced.

"Let me tell you, that place is gay friendly if any place on the planet is."

"Really?" Kurt asked. "I mean I guess the park might be, but the people who work there too?"

"Oh yeah. I mean my brother had a girlfriend there who got to work at the Haunted Mansion, and they used to sneak me in for the best breakfast at one of the cafeterias in the tunnel under the Magic Kingdom. It's this one huge tunnel system under the whole park, that's how all the cast members -that's what they call the staff there- get around. They call it being off-stage. And it's so funny, because when they are off-stage, out of the sight of the guests so they're no longer in character, it's actually pretty common to see two princesses kissing, or Goofy and Buzz Lightyear kissing. It's so funny. The makeup takes forever and it's made to hold up in the Florida heat, so when they're on break, they're still in costume and makeup and everything. It's great."

"Man, I'd love to see that," Kurt said, leaning closer in to Blaine.

Snuggling a bit more, but still using his hands to gesture along with his story, Blaine continued, "You know, being there and hanging out with all his friends, and meeting so many people who treat everyone with such friendliness and warmth… it made me really understand for the first time that there really is a whole different world outside of stupid high school. You just feel like you're trapped with these same people all the time, like it's your whole world, your whole society, that forced world of high school where you have to spend so many hours every day with those same groups of people categorizing each other constantly. When I got back, I couldn't even stand the thought of going back to my old school. I'd had a taste of what it's like to choose your own society, you know?"

"Oh, is that why you wrote that song?"

"Oh yeah, I was going to play you the song! I almost forgot. No, the song is just about how silly it is to put people into categories… Here, you can reach my guitar better from there." Kurt very regretfully broke contact and moved away from Blaine momentarily to reach for the instrument and hand it over.

By the time Blaine was starting in to the chorus the second time, Kurt felt like it was already an old familiar song and it felt like he should be singing along. He didn't, because he was enjoying the sound of Blaine's voice singing softly next to him.

_Seems like the categories,_

_Got nothing to do with you or me,_

_With you or me._

_Seems like the ones who love us,_

_They don't even know just what that means,_

_That's how it seems._

He was just about to say… something, if only he could come up with the right thing to say, or maybe he should do… something, maybe just take the guitar out of Blaine's hands when he's done and… _oh, what though?..._ when his agonizing was interrupted by a text message buzzing in on his phone. It was from Rachel.

**Kurt! Can I stop by again on Sunday and this time actually work on writing together? I need another song.**

* * *

_A/N – "Categories" by Darren Criss – you must look it up and listen to it!_

Time again to invoke my disclaimer on not intending copyright infringement and apologies for typing out some of the lyrics of a song that is someone else's property!

SO… "Categories" is an awesome song that can only be heard online at this time. Check it out on YouTube, where fans post their videos of him performing live concerts and such. He hasn't recorded this one yet, or if he has, *squeezes eyes tight wishing wishing wishing!* he has not released it yet. *still wishing! Please, Darren, please!* "Categories" by Darren Criss.

If you search for the recording by ennaxor, (which is also the one with the best sound quality) you will hear his introduction to the song at that show, from which I completely stole his words about it being his "love note to _that_ idea" and so forth. Yeah, I stole words from a real person and gave them to a fictional character. They were just such good words!

_Next time, we venture out to the city for a little adventure. And both boys will be getting some badly needed advice from friends. I hope. Everyone needs friends to tell you when you're being stupid and clueless, right?_

_Please feel free to review and tell me if I am being stupid and clueless in any aspect of my writing, BTW! Thanks!_


	5. Chapter 5: Medium Drip Forever

_This opening scene is what actually happened to me at lunch today! Well just the first part, with the baristas dancing. It was so awesome! College-age guys are just so cool and fun, I swear. Older guys could do the same thing but they might not, for fear they should be acting more professional when they are trying to look older. Aw, shucks. It shouldn't be that way. I am beyond college and still act that way! Girls can get away with these things more easily, though. _

_SOoooo I had to write about this, especially because I got to thinking what if someday people like those two baristas would do the same exact thing if it wasn't a girl having lunch... What if it was Kurt? And my immediate answer was: I bet these two guys totally would! Right now, today. They are artistic and friendly and confident guys living, studying and working in an urban and forward-thinking place like Boston. At a unique and locally-owned bohemian-style coffee shop. So... Yup. They would dance for Kurt to crack him up too._

(Disclaimer on not owning Glee, Darren Criss song lyrics, or lyrics to the Beetles' "Raspberry - I mean, "Strawberry Fields Forever.")

* * *

**Chapter 5: Medium Drip Forever**

The coffee shop where Blaine had chosen for them to meet in the city was definitely a place where Kurt could imagine Blaine being comfortable. It had tables and chairs and booths like a normal place without all those ridiculous big puffy chairs and couches so common in silly coffee shops these days. There were original paintings on all the walls for sale by local artists, and the entire wall behind the counter was a multi-colored piece of art itself filled with chalk hand-written descriptions of every coffee creation under the sun along with lunch options as well.

He was early, since Finn had dropped him off on his way to some function the football team had in town today, and Blaine was supposed to meet him here in about a half hour. They were going to the science museum together to surprise Mercedes on her third weekend volunteering for the Kids' Saturday Science program.

"Hot Choc-oh-lah-tay!" one of the baristas sang out, holding up a to-go cup with a flourish for the lady who was buttoning up her coat preparing to leave. Her mood lifted instantly, as she giggled at him, accepted her cup, and smiled at Kurt as she left him and the baristas with the place to themselves.

"I'll have a grande non-fat mocha, please."

"Coming right up! Is that all?"

"Well, I thought it was, but my goodness you have such interesting sandwiches…."

"THANK you!"

"Oh, you created these? They have such great names!"

"Yeah, well… about half of them."

"Very inventive. That 'Raspberry Fields' looks so good, I guess I'll have to try that."

"Excellent choice!" With that, the barista met the only other employee there who just got up from a table where he had been reading a textbook, and they discussed something quickly, after which the barista headed back toward Kurt saying "Whoo-hooo! One Raspberry Fields coming up!"

In response to the questioning and amused look from Kurt, he explained, "I had to make sure we had all the ingredients. YES!"

Laughing, Kurt couldn't resist the guy's infectious attitude, and said "Whoo-hoo! Raspberry Fields!" The barista pumped his fist in the air in victory, and from the back there was a little "Whoo-hoo!" as the other employee looked up from his sandwich-board to pipe in.

Kurt took his mocha off with a chuckle and settled at one of the stools along the table facing out the windows.

The barista who was already wearing a winter skully cap anyway headed outside to talk to two workers emerging from a truck marked "The Window Washing Authorities." When he passed Kurt on his way back in, Kurt asked, "Do you need me to move, are they going to clean the inside of the windows too?"

"Nah, I told them not to do it today."

"Ah, well it's a nice view anyway. The dirt adds a certain charm..."

"Yeah, it's nice to remind you that it's still pretty much winter... all that sun out there through a sparkling clean window might make you expect it to be nice and warm out there, and we wouldn't want you to have a shock as soon as you open the door!"

"Well that's certainly very thoughtful of you, clearly."

The sandwich maker brought out the completed sandwich and presented it to Kurt. He turned back around before walking too far, to ask, "Is the volume OK?" Kurt noticed for the first time just how loud the local-band music was playing.

At this, the barista stopped too, and added, "Yeah. You're the only one here, so we can make everything exactly how you want it!"

Kurt answered right away, "Ah it's just fine! I like it." But he laughed at the idea and looked around at all the empty booths and tables, smiling.

The sandwich maker said, "Yup, it's all for you right now!

The barista laughed at that and went one better, "We could dance for you even!" He demonstrated in the perfect rowdy-dance-club style.

Without missing a beat, the sandwich maker joined right in like it was a mini dance-party in the middle of the coffee shop.

Kurt burst out laughing with them, dancing a little in his seat, and said "Yay!" With one last laugh, he rewarded their efforts with the comment, "BEST lunchtime EVER!"

Still laughing, the guys headed back to their chores, the winter-capped barista saying, "That's what we're here for!"

A few minutes later, Kurt saw Blaine across the street heading over, so he got up to tell the barista that his friend is arriving, and he'll have a medium drip.

"You want to wait till he gets here to be sure? We have so many options... All these inventive creations... So colorful, he may not be able to resist!"

"No, trust me. He's a man of habit when it comes to his coffee."

By the time Blaine made it in to the shop and hugged Kurt hello, the barista had the coffee ready. Kurt motioned for Blaine to go collect it. When he did, though, the barista didn't let go of his grip on the cup, saying "Are you sure? It's just a medium drip! Look at all these options… The world is your oyster!"

With a warm and friendly laugh, Blaine told him, "No, this is exactly what I want. It's perfect. Thanks!"

Blaine shared the sandwich with Kurt, and they laughed about the names of all the coffee creations and sandwiches on the board. He sang out for Kurt to the tune of the Beetles' "Strawberry Fields" in a jocular voice, "Raspberry fields… forever!"

"Let me eat you now, 'cause I'm going to…" Kurt sang, joining the fun, and Blaine harmonized with him on, "raspberry fields!"

Kurt went on with, "Nothing is veal… Just turkey and cheese all about!"

"Raspberry fields forever!" They giggled while at the same time Kurt got goosebumps from how great the harmony sounded when Blaine's voice blended with his.

The whole time the boys were enjoying their lunch together and talking and laughing and singing, the baristas left them to themselves.

However, after the boys said their goodbyes and thanks to the employees and were on their way out the door, both baristas (obviously having planned this the whole time) burst out with a nice harmony together in the most cheesy operatic way, with big closing-number arm gestures, "Medium DRIP forever!"

And _that_ is how both boys ended up pouring out of the coffee shop holding on to each other to stop themselves from falling over in laughter, and almost crashing in to a somewhat familiar looking group of boys. "Hey Fag!" one of them spit out, and Kurt recognized him from the McKinley football team. In fact it looked like the whole football team was passing by right then, and the guy who had spit out the slur looked like he was making a sudden movement toward Kurt, but Blaine did not wait to see if he was or wasn't, he just acted without thinking, moving to protect Kurt. Before either Blaine or the misguided high school idiot completed their motion, an arm was already blocked across the guy's chest, pulling him back away from them. Karofsky's voice accompanied it, "Hey, Tony. Come on. Kurt's OK."

Karofsky looked back at them as he walked off pulling the guy along to rejoin the rest of the team, and gave an apologetic look that also held something more interesting in it, almost like seeking approval.

They both gave him almost the same exact non-committal nod and turned to glance at each other thinking _what was that?_

Mercedes was spectacular with the kids. Kurt and Blaine watched the tail end of her program, and noticed how she let children of every age, even the very youngest ones there, do everything themselves, offering encouragement but never taking over anything ever, giving them confidence that they can figure things out on their own. And of course, with only little needed bits of coaching here and there, they did. She was truly empowering to these kids, and they loved her.

After the last kid walked away with her parents, looking back at Mercedes with the cutest little sad wave, the three of them explored the museum together with Mercedes as their guide to all things science and interactive-exhibit-madness. It was like a playground for adults. "Hey, I just learned something!" Kurt sang out, after pulling a lever that sent hundreds of metal balls cascading down a series of pegs on a huge board, demonstrating the model for probability.

Kurt picked up his phone when it buzzed, because it was Finn. "Hey, you still at the science museum?"

"Yeah, we're going to get a bite to eat here soon. Why? Are you still downtown at that football conference thing?"

"Karofsky told me he, uh, ran into you guys. Everything OK?"

"Oh, sure. It was… well I was going to say it was nothing, but it was interesting actually. He got mad at that Tony kid for calling me a fag."

"Sh%*. He didn't tell me that, Kurt."

"Oh it's alright. It's taken care of. Please don't do anything Finn. Hey, if you're done there, why don't you come join us for dinner? The café here has beautiful views of the river and cheap food because Mercedes gets a 35% discount!"

"Yeah, alright. That'll be cool. I'll text you when I get there."

* * *

_A/N – And I'll text you when I post the next chapter! Well, OK, I won't text you. But it will show up as another posting on here with the number 6 after it…! Thanks for any comments or ideas along the way, even if you're reading this after I have lots more chapters posted... I love critical feedback about absolutely anything! Thanks!_


	6. Chapter 6: The Science of Attraction

_(Disclaimer: Not owning anything or associated with or write for anything mentioned here, especially Glee.)_

* * *

**Chapter 6: The Science of Attraction**

"You two hold the table. Kurt and I will go get the food; that way I can get my discount for all of it, and you can all pay me back." Mercedes pulled Kurt off with her, and Blaine and Finn launched right back into the debate they were in the middle of over who the Buckeyes recruited this season or who-knows-whatever-else that was way above Mercedes and Kurt's heads, or as they liked to put it, "way below" their heads. Kurt had played some football, of course, and quite enjoyed it, but he most certainly didn't follow teams and stats and trades and... all that drama.

The view from the science museum café was in fact spectacular through all those picture windows lining the back wall, and Mercedes paused to ask a question before they got in line.

"Kurt, are you sure he wants to stay just friends? Because it never looks that way when he's around you. It's like he lights up whenever he sees you. And boy, the way he looks at you, it's not like he's trying to be just friends, it's like he wishes he didn't have to _act_ like just friends!"

Kurt watched the river out the windows, tossing this around his head, and then said, "Well, maybe that's just the way he always looks. He's always so kind and outgoing with everyone, and then he has a closer friendship with me, so it could just look that way to you."

"No, Kurt. That boy is smitten. It is so obvious. You need to open your eyes. How was it that you left that infamous pouring-rain conversation again?"

Kurt took a deep breath and let it out in an exasperated sigh. "He said he didn't want to risk losing what we have, and I said I'll always be here for him no matter what."

"Kurt, you left a door wide open there! You said 'no matter what' to him!"

"So?"

"So, no matter what happens! Even if you and he _happen!_ You'll still be there for him _no matter what!"_

"Oh. Yeah."

"Exactly."

"Well... Go, me."

"Yeah, 'go you,' Kurt! Now go and tell him that in more clear terms and see what he says to that!"

"Mercedes, I'm pretty sure he was telling me he didn't want to change things. And he gave me a totally friendly hug. I mean, it was pretty obvious."

"Well… I think you need to talk about it a bit more on-the-nose, so you don't both end up thinking incorrect things about each other, you know what I mean?"

"You can't be much clearer than saying how much the friendship means to you and then just hugging."

"I think you have to consider the fact that you are both high school boys after all, and the things high school boys say never make any sense to me. I'm not sure if you have any advantage at all just because you're both boys and should understand each other's brains better than the brains of the opposite sex."

Kurt looked at her like she was crazy. "Mercedes, is all this science getting to you here at the museum?"

She punched his arm and headed for the line to get some dinner for everyone. "All I know Kurt, is that what boys do tends to be more accurate than what they say."

* * *

Finn was just as surprised as Blaine was to see Dave Karofsky approaching their table.

"Hey." Dave nodded at Finn and gave Blaine a look that was kind of like asking a question. He looked so harmless and almost vulnerable right then, Blaine figured it was time to offer him a peace treaty again.

"Karofsky…" Finn started, in a tone that was not really peaceful. Blaine cut in, "Dave, would you like a seat?"

"Yeah, I'm uh… I came to maybe see if you and Kurt would be OK with… talking to me for a minute."

"Kurt's getting our food right now, I think they'll be a while, it was a pretty long line."

"That's OK, it's kind of easier to talk to you first, I guess. Do you mind Finn? Do you want us to go somewhere so you can stay here?"

"Why can't you talk with me here Karofsky?"

"It's OK, Finn." Blaine said, ameliorating Finn's hostile look. "We're fine chatting. If Dave wants a little privacy, I'm totally OK with it."

"You sure?" Finn asked, before getting up. At the sincere nod and assuring look from Blaine, he headed toward the café saying he'd go help the others carry the food.

"What's up, Dave?" Blaine didn't know how to help the guy, but he figured he'd give him a chance to reach out to someone he might think could at least give him some kind of support or at least point him in the right direction.

"I… uh…" Karofsky faltered and seemed like he might even give up and walk away with some kind of _forget it_ or excuse or something.

"Hey, Dave," Blaine tried to help, "that was solid what you did today with Tony. Thanks for that."

"Man, I am so sorry. For… Everything. I want to tell Kurt too, but I'm glad it's just you right now. I never really… did anything to you. But I guess I insulted you and stuff."

Blaine only looked around the café. Karofsky wasn't making eye contact as he stumbled through what he was trying to say anyway, so there really wasn't anything Blaine felt he was required to do or say at this point.

"I've uh… Been going to counseling. Not that it does anything but verify that I have a total sh#* dad. I don't know. It doesn't really do anything."

More silence.

"You know what does, though?"

Now Blaine looked up at him.

"OK, don't tell ANYONE this. But I kind of… liked practicing with Mr. Schuster and everyone for that Thriller thing we did at half time when our Cheerios bailed."

Blaine smiled, and Karofsky could tell it wasn't in judgment or laughing at him or anything.

"Well, so I… seriously, don't tell anyone, not even Kurt about this…"

"That's definitely something I can't promise, Dave. I probably will tell Kurt."

Karofsky deliberated in his mind for a moment and then shrugged his shoulders. "Yeah, alright. So the thing is, I… kind of… joined a community theatre group in West Monroe"

"Oh my gosh, that's great."

"No, I know it's lame. But… I kind of felt more like myself when I was practicing all that stuff, and it's like, I don't know, I like it. And there's _no way_ I can do anything like that _at all_ at McKinley. There's no way."

"Well I think it's great. I bet you meet some pretty cool people there, who accept you however you are, right?"

"Yeah. Kind of. How'd you know that?"

"I practically grew up doing community theatre."

"Well, I just wanted to…" Karofsky took a breath and looked at the table. "I wanted to say that I'm glad you and Kurt are doing OK."

Blaine stared at the table just like Karofsky for a little while. He knew that he should allow the guy to grow and figure himself out, but he started to feel like it shouldn't be his job to help this particular guy or even let him off the hook so easy. He felt like this guy was asking for forgiveness for a whole lot of stuff that just can't be let go.

"Listen, Karofsky. I want you to know something." He narrowed his eyes making sure he was listening to him. "And really internalize this when I tell it to you. OK?"

Getting the acquiescent reaction he was looking for, Blaine went on. "After you kissed Kurt when he wasn't expecting it, he was really upset. As confusing as that may have been for you, it was more than a thousand times worse for Kurt. I really hope you get that." Dave's head was already bowed down but he managed a bit of a nod at the table.

"Think about it, Karofsky. If you had hauled out and kissed a girl like that when she was yelling at you for threatening her in the halls all the time, she would sue you for harassment. In fact, Kurt could. But you know what bothers me the most? He actually said to me that _that_ was his first kiss. 'One that counted' is how he put it. That's the one thing that really pisses me off. He should not feel that way. He actually made out with that Brittany once. That was totally consensual and planned making out, actually, with her. Yet he called that… _kiss_ (he spit the word out in a way that made it into a swear word) from _you_ the first one that 'counted.' Now I am going to do everything in my power to get him to stop thinking of it that way, because as far as I am concerned, there is no way that kind of kiss counts for anything. It is merely something that should never have happened. Am I making myself clear? I don't want you going to him and asking him for easy forgiveness like you did with me today. It's not gonna happen that way. It's going to take a whole lot more than that. And it's gonna take a lot more time for him to be ready to forgive you. So I'd recommend being as nice to him as you want, but do not ask him to forgive you until you've proved that you've changed 100%. That's my advice to you. And know that I _will_ protect him from being hurt or even just annoyed again."

"Alright. I got you."

"OK."

"Wow, you guys are really tight, aren't you?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Hey, I just meant you're close now. As a couple. That's fine. I'm cool."

"We're not a couple."

"Oh. I thought… Really?"

Blaine considered Karofsky's face for a minute, and decided the guy really was being sincere now. And he'd just taken that whole talking-to in far more of a relaxed manner than he ever would have imagined. The guy must really be trying. Or really changing.

"Sadly, no. He wants to stay friends."

"Wait. Kurt does?"

"Yeah."

Karofsky looked a little uncomfortable, but like he was sort of trying to push through it, almost forcing himself to ask, "Explain that to me. I thought he was totally... um... into you." Now he really looked uncomfortable. It almost made Blaine laugh.

"Well... I kissed him. And... he didn't want to kiss me again. Basically."

Looking at the far wall and fidgeting a _lot_, Karofsky managed, "How does that work? Didn't you like, talk about it or anything?"

"Yeah, sort of. I mean mostly it was just obvious. I had _just kissed him_, and he wouldn't look at me. He was like, avoiding my eyes and stuff, and kind of looked like he regretted it. So, I felt bad about kissing him so suddenly like that, if he really didn't want to. I don't know. But you don't want to hear this."

"Actually… I really do. I uh…" Karofsky shook his head raising his eyes toward the ceiling. "I should… find out how this… stuff… works."

Blaine laughed and then regretted it. He looked at Karofsky in apology and said, "Dave, it's OK. That's fine. It's really no different than anything else. It's all just people… figuring things out. That's all. It's all pretty much the same across the board I guess."

"So I know I insulted you guys and all, but… I really did think Kurt was into you. Are you sure he didn't want to kiss you?" Saying the word kiss seemed to be extremely difficult for him, and Blaine's heart finally went out to him a little.

"OK, I mean, I kissed him just all of a sudden and it was in the pouring rain so we had to get in the car, and then I was looking at him wanting to kiss him again so bad. But he sat there staring at the dashboard all nervous, looking like he was trying to find a way to let me down easy."

"That sucks."

"Tell me about it. So I spilled my guts out to him, telling him how much he means to me, and how much our friendship means, and I even told him I can't imagine my world without him now. And then he just told me he'll always be here for me and gave me this totally friendly hug. I mean it's pretty obvious what he was really saying there."

"Man, I really thought he was totally into you. Seriously. This is so weird. I feel like I'm missing something."

"No, this is the truth. Even that hug… it was stiff and just friendly at first, but then it got kind of like, softer, or whatever, so I almost tried saying something else, just to...check, I don't know. Good thing I didn't though, because he just started the car saying everyone was waiting for us."

"Bummer. I… don't really know what I should say… I mean…"

"Dave. I'm just talking. You are not someone I would ever go to for advice."

"Yeah."

* * *

_A/N – This chapter was dedicated to everyone who got yearbook signatures along the lines of "I had a huge crush on you all sophomore year!" which made you think "WHAT? I had a crush on HIM all sophomore year! What the heck? Stupid dumb high school boys."_

_Next chapter: Someone gets kissed, and there is no alcohol or karaoke involved._


	7. Chapter 7: Categories

_Again I apologize to Darren Criss for typing out some lyrics from his song "Categories" which is not even released in any official form yet, and is only heard in his live performances. I may even have gotten some of the words wrong! *wishing and telepathically begging the artist to record and release this song for our iPods!*_

_[Try YouTube, search "Darren Criss ennaxor" for a good-quality live video of "Categories" for now.] You'll be able to envision my stage scene for the New Directions below better too! Teehee_

_(And of course I do not hold any copyright for Glee or the New Directions either.)_

_

* * *

_

**Chapter 7: Categories**

The song started out with powerful bass guitar and drums. Puck took the stage from down left and began singing somewhat softly in a rap-like manner about different things he could say about different kinds of people, as Quinn and then Finn and then Tina and then Artie each followed onto the stage. Sam entered the stage from the opposite, down right, taking over the next rap-like lines, as Mercedes, Mike, Santana and Brittany each entered in turn after him.

Mercedes stopped, turned and picked up the narrative, "_Shake the dust off of your boots..._" raising the vocal style to another level building the song's momentum until Rachel entered and sang the next line right to Mercedes, "_Girl you're acting crazy..." _completing those lyrics in her own way of raising the roof with nothing but her voice.

They all came together in the center of the stage assessing each other theatrically as the driving lead guitar rhythms and coursing drums galloped toward the chorus, and then they all turned to face the audience (currently just Kurt and Blaine of course).

As one, they hit a tight harmony, launching into that chorus which Kurt had realized long ago was stuck in his head for days, playing continually there ever since he first heard Blaine singing it for him in his cozy room. "_Seems like the categories, Got nothing to do with you or me_," and Puck took the next alone, "_With you or me_," followed by the same whole-group-chord again for "_Seems like the ones who love us_," Sam alone finishing that thought on "_They don't even know just what that means_," and Mercedes and Rachel making the last line as gorgeous as only those two can, "_That's how it seems!_"

Kurt felt Blaine looking at him at this point, and turned to beam at him, the creator of this astonishingly effective song, only to see that he looked actually... worried. He contemplated the conflicted songwriter for a while, trying to figure out what could possibly cause worry, or whatever it was, and how to get to the bottom of it, then finally settled on blurting out, "Oh my God, Blaine. This is so incredible! Are you _hearing_ this?"

With a nervous shifting of his glance, Blaine looked up at Artie singing "…_pretending that you know all the moves_," and then Santana, "_The__ beat goes faster than your mind can handle, take your time just when you can and…_" and then he turned his gaze away from the stage again and leaned all the way in to Kurt as if to disclose a private confidence to him, whispering into his shoulder, "Am… I… a good songwriter, or is it just that they are so great at this? They just... turned it into something so much better than I could have written."

Kurt's heart precipitously fell into his stomach, in complete disbelief that Blaine could actually feel that way. He took the boy's shoulders in a strong, solid grip. He forced Blaine's eyes up to meet his with nothing more than his powerful glare, and then kept them there with his steady gaze.

"Blaine. You have to be joking. Are you hearing the same song I'm hearing here?" Blaine glanced to the stage where the whole group was moving in a syncopated rhythm, each performing their own unique steps to a slightly different beat than the next, which taken in all together formed a tableau of one cohesive formation.

He still had an expression that belied his feelings of insecurity about this song. Or… _Something._ Since the song was the most incredible thing Kurt had heard since "Not Alone," he figured those feelings causing those expressions could not possibly stem from the song itself or its perfectly insightful lyrics.

"Look at me, Blaine." He waited until they were square again, although Blaine looked only down at his own hands nervously. "This song is amazing. They are positively _kicking_ _A_ up there, and it's _because_ they have a song that is so ideal for them to perform. The song that _you_ wrote."

Letting go of one shoulder and loosening his grip on the other into more of a tender hold, Kurt reached down now to cradle Blaine's face until the guy would meet his eyes again. "Blaine. YOU are _amazing._ Don't you know that?"

Being forced to look right at him, Blaine couldn't hide the mix of surprise, and... desire, in his eyes at that moment of awakening awareness that _Kurt_ thought _he_ was _amazing_.

His hands shot up to Kurt's neck and hair and cheeks and lips, and Kurt moved in and completed the connection Blaine began, their lips meeting in a flood of electricity that this time left no doubt. This time, neither of them had the slightest question if anything was different. In this single instant, everything changed. For sure. Possibly forever.

On Stage, Finn was singing "_I take advantage of all my callings, Don't take no stop at _slow_ signs_." Then Brittany began, _"I get the feeling that I'm still falling"_ with more of the rest of them joining in on each of the next words until they all were singing by the end of the line. _"In between all the lines that we never made!"_

The drums drove on and crescendoed, bringing the song's momentum to a head, while all the singers on stage vocalized on the song's final bridge, and the two in the audience disappeared into each other's consciousness and came up on the other side in a world of nothing but the softness and forcefulness of their lips, the scent of their hair and breath and hands, the feel of their closeness and the indescribable relief and joy of their minds and emotions finally in sync, moving and reacting as one.

"So, what did you think?" Rachel squinted her eyes looking for Kurt and Blaine in the audience. Artie hit the switch to kill the spotlights on stage, and all of the blinded eyes up there blinked away their spots and finally settled onto the two of them still wholly oblivious to anything in the world around them. "Oh," Quinn said with her beautiful eyes popping open wide, following quickly with a voice that only she could make sound as sweet, "Well, I mean... About time! Right?"

* * *

_A/N - Ah, the adventure does not end here..._

_Stay tuned..._

_AND, of course, as always: suggestions and rebuffs and criticisms and questions and comments are loved loved loved here. Thanks!_


	8. Chapter 8: Running Back

_Finally! I hope I get more time to write so that the next chapter will not be so far away! Perhaps even this weekend. I have tons of plans for all of these characters._

_[I do not own any of the characters from Glee or the song mentioned in this chapter, "Mr. Brightside" by the awesome band The Killers.]_

_

* * *

_

**Chapter 8: Running Back**

Blaine had driven home from Lima before he and Kurt had any chance to talk alone, after Rachel and Mercedes and Quinn, and... well, all of New Directions, had practically piled on top of them in the auditorium yesterday. It was a weeknight, after all, and Kurt wasn't heading back to school until the next morning whereas Blaine had the excuse of the long drive back to Dalton.

So it was Kurt alone who had to take the teasing from all his old friends after they had been very polite while Blaine was still there, mostly talking about how grateful they were to him for letting them perform his songs and all that, while only slipping in here and there small and almost undetectable hints of razzing about the guys hooking up finally.

Despite the ensuing merciless teasing from his friends after Blaine left, he ended up actually wondering later that evening if he could have assumed more meaning from it than Blaine did. If only they'd been able to say anything to each other after all that kissing and before all those friends pouncing. He thought he knew where they stood now, it seemed quite clear from the non-verbal communication there, but after all, people have simple hormones and reactions sometimes, don't they? It's possible he was reading more into it because he wanted to, and Blaine was simply kissing him just… maybe, like in the moment. He really didn't think so but it was just possible that it didn't mean quite as _much_ as he though it did. Sometimes a kiss is just a kiss.

* * *

He only saw him briefly one time all day today, but he was with a teacher, and Kurt knew he was about to head off to a preparation for Model United Nations with that teacher, so Blaine couldn't stop and talk with him even though it really looked like he wanted to. He was pretty sure Blaine was looking at him the way someone who is totally into you would, especially if they were wishing they could talk to you in private but can't right now because of some stupid teacher talking all about some stupid Model UN. Whatever. He was proud of Blaine for that. Stupid talented brilliant overly-booked kid.

After school today, Kurt, for one, didn't have any extra-curricular commitments, so when some of the guys in his dorm invited him out to the yard for some football, he gladly joined. It had been raining for almost two days, so the yard in the quad between all the dorms was practically all mud. For some crazy reason, which no one can explain but everyone gets, a casual pick-up game of football is about a hundred times more fun in the mud.

They almost hadn't asked him to join, thinking that with his always-perfect appearance including keeping his hair constantly intact, he may not be likely to enjoy rolling around in mud. However, as they found out, Kurt is not one to do anything half-way, and if there is a challenge of physical prowess at hand, especially involving a chance to display a bit of his known skills, he will dive in to participate with all he's got. Besides, Kurt loves anything that is out of the ordinary, a bit crazy, and fun. The thought of mud football made him laugh, so on with shorts and a t-shirt and out onto the muddy yard he went with his jogging and jostling schoolmates.

* * *

About 20 minutes into the game, when all the boys were covered in mud and raising up a ruckus out in the yard with all their laughter and stray throws that got away from them whenever they slipped in the mud while catapulting the football in an entirely different direction and force than intended prior to the mud taking them down, Blaine was back in his room. From his window, he had a perfect view of what was causing the very loud hilarity below.

A pick-up game of football was not at all an unusual thing, but… on the third glance down at the game, was that… it couldn't be Kurt…. Ah, but it _was! _ Well, this Just Got Interesting.

Then again, he felt a little twinge of disappointment because he was looking forward to catching Kurt as soon as he could, because he was dying to talk to him ever since they never got to talk yesterday. For gosh sake they kissed and then never… well, not just kissed… they really kissed, and kissed some more… so, that's pretty clear… But _still_. He just felt like maybe it had needed at least a couple words too. They just never got the chance. And now, with the guy out there coating himself and others in mud, it may be a while longer.

As he was watching, he started to notice that Kurt was… good! Like, really good. It didn't surprise him that he had the right kind of dexterity and quickness, like a dancer, and his quick thinking and fast strategizing could have been predicted by his intelligence and wit in general and how fast he learns everything from chemistry to dance moves, but what floored him was the strength he was seeing from Kurt down there.

He thought back and realized he'd never really… felt his muscles or anything, and under most of his outfits… well, maybe he'd noticed a little bit, but never really related it to athletics or that kind of strength. Maybe he'd felt those shoulders once… yesterday. Yeah, they were strong and defined, but it hadn't really registered as the most important thing to make a note of or focus on at the time, overcome as he had been with the emotion of it all, finally making that connection and finally expressing his true feelings for this incredible man who is right now actually tackling Kenny, who is no small guy. OK, yeah, those kisses from yesterday are going to have to be followed by more as soon as possible.

As always happens with Blaine, when the phrase "it started out with a kiss" popped into his head, he knew it was a line from a song and that it would soon be stuck in his head. "It was only a kiss, It was only a kiss…" _What is that from?_

"It started out with a kiss,

How did it end up like this?

It was only a kiss, it was only a kiss..."

For some reason all he saw in his head was Cameron Diaz singing something... Oh! From that movie _The Holiday_! It's by The Killers! That song... What's it called.., _Mr. Brightside_. Awesome song! He thought he should go look for it online to hear it again...

And outside the window, he saw Kurt tackled. Oof. He was clearly fine, but… man. _If anyone's tackling him, it should be… OK I really should stop watching before I go crazy. _

And there's yet another line from the song. "I just can't look - it's killing me…"

He just couldn't stop watching, was the problem. It wasn't just that he really REALLY liked watching Kurt do anything, but also he was drawn to that level of raw talent. Blaine was a Wide Receiver on the Dalton football team, and actually started to think maybe Kurt would be someone to mention to his coach for that position for the team next fall. Even out there in the mud, he was showing all the skills on the field that make a natural and talented offensive football player.

But then something happened to change his mind completely. Not a Wide Receiver at all. Kurt intercepted the football, ducked and turned in a flash, found a hole in the defense almost instantly, and pushed right through with surprising force. Then when Tom, one of the starting defense players on the actual football team, tried to tackle him, Blaine's eyes almost popped out of his head as Kurt clocked him with his shoulder, muscled past him AND Kenny, and would have shot off on a clear run to the goal line if it hadn't been for a pothole-sized slick of a mud pocket that finally took Kurt down, laughing raucously in the mud with at least six of the other players piling on top of him just for the fun and hilarity of it all, as is the true nature of mud football.

But that move. That solidified it. Kurt would make the perfect Running Back.

"Destiny is calling me,

Open up my eager eyes…"

More lyrics from this dang song! Blaine tore his eyes away from the window and looked it up.

* * *

While he was looking for the song, he was singing the line to himself out loud, "I just can't look, it's killing me…"

He was seriously in need of a distraction, because any more watching Kurt play mud football and he was in danger of going out there to join that game, and in the mud with Kurt at this particular moment he'd end up not playing much football and that would not be good for the other players, or anyone! _But Kurt is in trouble as soon as he gets back in here after that game. Oh, man, calm down Blaine. Cool it. Be a gentleman._

For whatever reason, when Blaine gets a song running through his head, he starts to arrange it for acapella voices. It just happens. So that's what happened with this song as he was listening to The Killers recording of it he'd just bought and downloaded. The harmonies and instrumentals started flooding into his mind, and soon he was writing out notes and recording practice tracks to experiment with. It was a good thing, because he needed an outlet for his creative mind right then to pour his excess energy into and to keep him from the window.

* * *

When the halls of Blaine's dorm, the one with a stocked kitchen, were invaded by a horde of crazy guys with mud drying on their clothing and faces and hair, the sound of Blaine singing at the top of his lungs was pouring out into the hallway on the third floor.

A few of the guys, including Kurt of course, wandered toward that sound before heading to the kitchen. Blaine sounded like he was singing the main melody at this point, with about six harmonies coming from probably his computer, all recordings of him accompanying himself. In the space of time they had been playing football, the guy had worked out a seven-part harmony (so far) and sounded like he'd almost perfected the blend.

"And I just can't look - it's killing me

And taking control

Jealousy, turning saints into the sea

Swimming through sick lullabies

Choking on your alibis

But it's just the price I pay"

More and more boys were showing up to find out what the gathering in the middle of the hallway was about, and each one stopped to listen along with everyone as soon as they heard Blaine's seven voices coursing through the door and into the hallway.

"I'm coming out of my cage

And I've been doing just fine

Gotta gotta be down

Because I want it all

It started out with a kiss

How did it end up like this?

It was only a kiss, it was only a kiss…"

Kenny, who had been listening to the whole thing intently all along, asked Kurt suddenly, "You guys are dating, right?"

When Kurt nodded yes, a bit shocked that Kenny knew this already, or assumed it, because really, even Kurt didn't know this for absolutely sure yet, Kenny took in an audible sharp intake of breath, and said "uh oh!" and turned on his heel and swept down the hall without a chance to question him.

"Wes? What was he talking about?"

Wes tore his ears away from Blaine's door and answered Kurt, "Oh, nothing to worry about I'm sure. Kenny loves being over-dramatic all the time."

David piped in with, "But, still... Blaine tends to do this with a song he finds um, _appropriate_ for whatever he's going through at the moment, like, therapy? Kind of?" Seeing Kurt's worried expression, he added, "But not always! More than half the time, or at least half the time, it's just a song he likes and it has nothing to do with the guy he's in love with," He stopped short with a look that clearly said he spoke that last part without thinking. "I mean it doesn't have to mean anything just because he's singing it like that..."

"He probably just got into arranging the song," Wes offered. "He does that. It's a great song. It sounds awesome!"

"Now I'm falling asleep

And she's calling a cab

While he's having a smoke

And she's taking a drag

Now they're going to bed

And my stomach is sick

And it's all in my head…"

Kurt still worried as he listened to the sincerity in Blaine's voice working out this song.

"But she's touching his chest now,

He takes off her dress now,

Letting me go…."

After more than a few of the gathered students said things like "you guys should totally do this song," Wes finally busted open Blaine's door with a couple loud knocks as a warning he was coming.

Six of Blaine's harmonies continued until the live one said "What the..." and hit stop on the computer in reaction to about twelve Dalton boys all invading his room together.

"Did you arrange this for the Warblers to sing?" David was the first to ask.

Clearly not expecting this question, Blaine stammered, "No. ...Well, yeah. ...I guess. I mean... We could. Should we?"

"Yeah! Definitely! Of course! You should! Did you? It's great," came the replies from around the room.

Since three of the officers of the student-run Warblers were present at the time, the decision was practically already made.

Wes turned to David, and with a look they both knew very well, asked, "Regionals?"

The two of them walked out together talking a blue streak, oblivious to Blaine's gaping look and his attempts to ask, "Wha.. wait... Wes..." and too quickly all the boys emptied the room leaving its owner and his muddy boyfriend standing in amazement. Blaine closed his mouth and turned to Kurt, and seeing his amused expression at Blaine's expense, laughed and not so much asked as presented as a statement, "What just happened?"

Kurt threw his arm over Blaine's shoulders pulling him down with him so that they both tumbled backwards onto the couch laughing, and said to his gorgeous, favorite acapella arranger, "Well, I think we have the opening song for Regionals picked out!"

* * *

After they had sat on the couch for a few minutes not speaking, just enjoying being together, and Blaine having fun peeling dried mud off of Kurt's hand in his, Kurt brought up the worry that was still in the back of his mind. "Blaine? Someone said you sometimes sing about what's going on with you, or things you're going through or something like that. Was that what you were doing with this song?"

"Um… No, not really."

"So… Kind of, then?"

Blaine smiled at that persistence. He allowed, "I guess I thought of the song in the first place because of a couple lines, but the song as a whole is definitely not anything I'm thinking about right now."

Kurt nodded and laced his fingers through Blaine's.

Blaine thought about it for a second and added, "Anyway in the song it's all in his head. 'And it's all in my head, but she's touching his chest now...' he's imagining stuff in his head."

"True," Kurt answered, "But he's worried it's gonna happen."

"Sure, but mostly he's saying that all those feelings came up from only one kiss."

The fact that Kurt kind of froze and didn't know what to say, which is so unusual for him, made Blaine realize he had just almost implied that he had been singing the song about Kurt. "Hey, listen, if there was anything about that song that I can relate to, it's just the fact that it's amazing what one kiss can do to your mind, not that it turns people into jealous monsters."

Kurt was still wondering about the way he sounded singing the song. "But the point is that his jealousy is in his head, and he's worrying that she'd someday be 'letting him go' even though none of that happened."

"I guess."

"But the song definitely wasn't in your head because of that?"

"Well... no one's taking off your dress. Not even 'all in my head' or anything!"

Kurt laughed at the welcome change in tone for their little conversation. He decided to tease back. "What if someone was (he sang this part just like the line in the song) 'touching my chest now'?"

At the sound of that sweet voice singing such a thing, Blaine's eyes closed of their own accord for just a brief second until he recovered, and put a fake look of shock on his face, saying, "Oh man, maybe the song IS exactly speaking my mind!" Pretending to be overcome by a jealous rage and growling, he pounced on Kurt and then, chuckling all the while, began to attack him with kisses all up and down his muddy neck.

Kurt's uncontrollable giggles were only interrupted when he was finally able to get out, "Wait... So one part of the song _was_ what you were thinking?"

Blaine's muffled "hmph?" against his neck just set him off on more giggles.

Recovering, and pushing the kissing-monster off him for at least a moment, Kurt asked again out of a huge curiosity, "so... which lyrics got you singing that particular song?"

"I uh... Saw you out the window."

"Playing football?"

"Being downright awesome at football."

"Haha, really?"

"Seriously."

"Huh."

"And uh, your shoulders had something to do with it."

"With being good at football?"

"Well, yeah that too. But. Uh. It was that I was um, trying to remember what they felt like."

"Ah."

"The last time I got to feel them."

Kurt's little shy smile also had a bit of a sly quality to it. "Where's that in the song?"

That smile almost killed Blaine but he held off for the moment and managed to muster some coherent words together, "ah, the kiss. 'It started out with a kiss.'"

"How did it end up like this?" Kurt's real question (did _that_ line mean something too?) was easy for Blaine to get.

"Exactly."

"Well if it makes you feel any better, I'm not letting you go."

Whoa! That was not the kind of thing Blaine was expecting out of this flirty repartee here. But it was exactly what was missing yesterday. It was exactly the kind of thing he had needed to hear. It hit him straight in the heart and compelled him without any conscious choice or control toward Kurt's lips. Not that he wouldn't have chosen to do the exact same thing several split seconds later if he had allowed conscious thought to come into it.

_Yeah, it wasn't only a kiss._ Kurt had his answer too, in this moment. And this one was very much not only a kiss either. With each brush of his lips against Kurt's, Blaine was saying something stronger and deeper and more sure of exactly what he was expressing, and Kurt responded with the same level of energy and more, each movement of his hands in his boyfriend's hair and each new delicious spot he chose to grace with a kiss telling him exactly how much he feels the same.

* * *

_Coming up… Mercedes has a love interest too, you know. (Why not ever on the show? grrrr) I think something may be at risk with Rachel and Regionals… And of course, our adorable boys will continue their journey in figuring out how to have a bit more confidence in reading each other and what they know to be true rather than all this getting flustered. Ah, high school boys._


	9. Chapter 9: What's Natural

**Big Long Author's Note: **

(Which can be skipped at will)

I've added a few things that I've been thinking about to previous chapters… no need to go back to read them since they're only clips here and there. I'll just catch you up.

So here's what you missed on "Original Song!" -In Chapter 3, there is a hint of a possible future for Rachel and Finn. In Chapter 4 Santana shows a bit of obvious jealously for Brittany, and Puck actually shows a bit for Santana…

Ah, heck… they're so short, I'll just copy them here for you, and you can read or ignore them at your discretion.

Here's from Chapter 3 at Breadsticks after Kurt and Blaine describe the infamous diner scene from _When Harry Met Sally_ to Rachel and Finn:

[As Burt and Carole returned to the booth, the boys were just finishing their description of what the diner scene is all about in the movie, so all four of them were laughing and talking and laughing some more and looking so happy, which was Carole's absolute favorite thing in the world. To see her children and their friends simply enjoying life. She also couldn't help but notice that her son always looks happiest when he's next to Rachel, and the fact that at this particular moment she was obviously finding excuses to grab his arm or slap his thigh through the laughter, and most notably the fact that Finn so quickly moved away from her when he saw his mother coming... Carole wasn't sure but it looked like he had been resting a hand on Rachel's knee, probably also with the excuse of holding onto each other from all the laughter.]

Here are the changes from Chapter 4, after Brittany is Slushied:

[Artie pulled his head back from Brittany's giggling kisses on his cheek to ask, "Who Slushied you, Brit?"

"Heehee! Slushieed? That's what it's called? That's so cuuute!" Everyone looked at Brittany as she said this, with looks on their faces that could only mean _is it really possible for her to have been that oblivious all this time?_

Santana filled him in, "It was a couple of bottom-row-of-the-pyramid Cheerios, and they said '_have fun in GLEE CLUB, dor_k' when they did it. The total loser idiots. I mean, who says 'dork' anyway? What dorks!"

Mercedes started to reach out to touch Santana's arm since the girl looked like she was about to snap, but she stopped short when she noticed that perhaps she had already snapped and it may be the last time she sees her hand if she touches that live wire. As she watched Santana in this moment, she couldn't help but notice that there was definitely something else going on in this girl's head besides defending her friend. Her face had pain and a very-rare-for-Santana vulnerability in it, which made Mercedes feel like reaching out to her even more though she knew it would do no good. It was how Brittany looked when she clung to Artie that made Santana look at Brittany as though she'd lost something precious and was perhaps realizing it for the first time.

Puck almost pushed Mercedes out of the way to grab Santana into a hug, but he got a swift shove to the chest and a "Back off, Cassanova!" from Santana, followed by "Just because I'm pissed off at some dumb Cheerios doesn't mean you should swoop in and pretend to help so you can get a little somethin'-somethin' for yourself!"

It was not lost on Artie that it seemed a little out of character for her to brush off Puck so quickly and soundly.

Santana took Brittany off to the restroom to get her to at least wash off her face and hair, Puck stalked to the back of the room to sit by himself and brood, and the rest of them explained it to Mr. Schuster who had just passed the two girls on his way in to the choir room with a huge _what the heck is going on here_ expression on his confused face.]

This next part has no effect on this chapter as the above changes do, so you really can skip this. I only added in a description to the Warblers practicing Toto's "Africa" in Chapter 4.

[Kurt was _finally_ singing a solo in one of the songs the Warblers rehearsed tonight. It was one of the classics of all classic songs done by acapella groups, Toto's "Africa." Kurt and Kenny took the leads on this one, and it was smooth and rich and beautiful.

Kenny was a natural bass, but was singing in a low tenor, almost baritone range for the song, and Kurt was bringing his voice down to the same, so each brought a unique and interesting quality to the same notes. They switched off practically every other line, from Kenny's opening "_I hear the drums echoing tonight,_" to Kurt's final "_Hurry boy, it's waiting there for you,_" with the rest of the Warblers bursting into instant perfect tight eight-part harmony, joining Kenny and Kurt who held prominent notes floating above the Warblers all along the chorus,

_"It's gonna take a lot to drag me away from you,  
There's nothing that a hundred men or more could ever do,  
I bless the rains down in Africa,  
Gonna take some time to do the things we never have."_

Blaine seemed unable to stop his eyes from shutting in rapt appreciation at the sound of Kurt's voice blending incredibly with Kenny's every time they joined together which they did on the long-held words at the end of a bunch of the lines. It was just that Kurt's voice... did something to his poor heart. Ah, this is what fangirls mean when they say a famous singer's voice makes them melt.]

OK, that brings you up to speed!E

**END AUTHOR'S NOTE.**

* * *

(I do not own nor do I have anything to do with the development of the characters from Glee mentioned here, not even the super cute Artie and Brittany.)

This one's for you, Marte.

–OK because I meant to start it with Artie and Brittany or at the coffee shop but neither of those happened along first as it turned out. Both of them come after, though!

* * *

**Chapter 9: What's Natural**

Puck had been dating Lauren for a few weeks now, and it kind of shocked him how stuck on her he was. He didn't even think about cheating on her once, not that he regularly cheats on everyone, just that he thinks about girls _all the time_ so even when he's dating one girl exclusively for a while he doesn't usually have his _mind_ on her at all times. But for some reason with Lauren Zizes, he could never even think about another girl even if he tried. He wasn't sure why.

One problem he had with her was that no matter what kind of charm and masculine powers he tried to work over her, she simply never seemed as into him physically as he was into her. Man, she turned him on. He couldn't figure out why she seemed so slow to even warm up to him at all. He'd never had that problem with a girl before in his life! Why would he think he had chemistry with someone who felt none for him?

Why was he so determined to make her love him? He kept thinking it was because she was so badass and could so easily keep up with him and stand up to him, and even exceed him in her tough attitudes and skills. She didn't take any crap from him and he liked it. He figured she reminded him of his mother in that way, which kind of creeped him out when he really thought about that.

Today, though, something happened that changed everything. As usual, she was pointing something out to him that was definitely true – he knew she was right when she said that he does things bordering on the illegal and sometimes crossing that border not because he really wanted to for any reason he had himself but only in order to get people to see him as cool – and while she was talking, it was very much not his mother she was reminding him of, it was Santana.

All at once, images and memories and scents and feelings washed over all his senses. Santana. She was the one who stood up to him and matched him attitude for attitude and action for action. But she didn't stand up to him as much as stand up with him. She didn't run him through his paces or try to change him like Lauren did; she just naturally brought out the best in him. He felt entirely himself when he was with her.

With her. Oh, man. Being with her. Those lips, even just watching her in glee club, when she's belting out a song and she throws her head back and her whole face shows a passion for the lyrics and a deep soulfulness infusing her own electrifying quality into the notes flowing out from… ahh those lips… wow. His mind ran down from her face to the sultry shape of her neck and her shoulders and those arms that seem to wrap around him twice with her dancer's flexibility and grace of movement. Damn, that whole rockin' body which he has been lucky enough to see when it becomes languorous, being the lucky, and skillful if he must say, one to make her melt into him and change in a moment from hard and tough to soft and supplicating.

He shook his head and tried to stay in the present moment so he could figure out this thing with Lauren and maybe… well, he'd have to think about all this by himself for a while.

* * *

The barista at that great (and colorful) college coffee shop near the science museum could hear Kurt, Finn, Mercedes and Blaine coming down the sidewalk before they even came into view of the windows. Or at least he could hear Kurt and Mercedes. Finn for all his size is surprisingly quiet, and Blaine doesn't tend to cause a ruckus anywhere off-stage.

"Hey there, Medium Drip and Raspberry Fields!" The sandwich maker at the coffee shop had called Blaine and Kurt that last week, the second time they'd ever been there, and apparently it stuck because the barista had obviously adopted the names for them as well.

"Hey, Greg!" Mercedes sidled up to the counter.

For her, he had a little conspiratorial lean onto the counter, "Miss Mercedes. It's always nice to see you. Every Saturday now for a while, huh?"

"Oh, you _know_ I need my coffee before I try to handle all those kids and science experiments! A girl's got to fuel up for that kind of crazy on a Saturday morning!"

The barista automatically started making a medium drip and non-fat mocha, having learned that those two of Mercedes' companions will never be persuaded to try something different no matter how persuasive he may be, (and he certainly is). "Well, Peter is going to be very sorry he missed you."

"Oh, please."

"Oh my gosh, he practically breaks his neck every Saturday morning craning out toward the windows watching for you to walk in."

"Peter? The one who makes the sandwiches? Oh, well… I guess that's kind of creepy… I mean I'm in high school and he's like in his 20's or something."

"Nah, he's 17. Peter's a freshman." He handed Kurt his coffee and returned to finish Blaine's. "He's off today because a couple of his high school friends are visiting from their colleges for the weekend, and they started a band in high school, so they're throwing some stuff together today and then playing a gig at the Side Walk Café tonight."

Noticing Mercedes' almost-undetectable raised eyebrows, Kurt turned to Blaine, and with only a glance they had silently decided to be sure to take her to that gig tonight.

"Medium Drip!" The barista said it to Blaine in a way that could equally be calling his name or announcing the drink he was handing to him, and then took the drink orders for Finn and Mercedes.

* * *

Finn was being grilled about Rachel by all three of his friends when Greg walked over to see if they'd like anything else or if he could provide them with any services possible on this fine day. Manning the coffee shop all alone, he wasn't quite as goofy and outgoing as he was with Peter there to egg him on, but he still had all the charisma and charm with his customers, and he had a way about him that could always connect so easily and comfortably with everyone.

Mercedes asked him, "OK. Tell us this. If you knew two people who used to date, and they were perfect for each other, and now they always seem to end up doing things together, and sitting next to each other in school activities, and are trying to write songs together even…. What would you tell them to get them to stop being stupid and just get back together?"

Greg squeezed his eyes up to show he was really thinking hard about this but in a theatrical way, and he said, "Well, to me anyway, perfect couples are pretty boring actually." The other three at the table laughed out loud at that, but Mercedes acted Not Amused.

"Aw, don't worry though; I can make exceptions for couples like you two (gesturing toward Kurt and Blaine) who have been together forever because you're perfect for each other, but you're fun and a little crazy so you still amuse me. See, my thing is that if I don't have the perfect relationship with anyone, then seeing perfect couples just bugs me. If they amuse me, then they're still OK and I can be around them."

"Oh my gosh, Tina and Mike!" Holding his shoulder where Mercedes had just punched him as she had said that, Kurt let out an "Ow!" and glared at her. But Finn answered her. "Yes! I KNEW there was something that bugged me about them, but they're such a perfect couple I couldn't figure it out."

"They're boring!" Finn and Mercedes exclaimed it almost at the same time to each other, laughing.

Kurt frowned. "Why are they boring just because they're perfect for each other?"

Unable to punch him again because he moved away too fast, Mercedes said to him, "Don't you get it, Kurt? There's no drama, they have no flaws or humorous problems in their relationship, so there's nothing to amuse us, like Greg says!"

With a nod to the table and an expression that said _I believe my work here is done, _Greg started to head back. Before he could, Blaine stopped him, "Hey, Greg… What made you say that Kurt and I were together forever?"

"Oh, well… I guess it's kind of obvious, the way you seem to telepathically communicate with each other and know everything the other's going to say or do next or even order, and all that. But… I guess I would only know for sure that you'd been together at least prior to my first meeting you which was I guess about two weeks ago."

Now Kurt was curious. "We weren't even together when we first met you."

Greg was genuinely shocked. "You can't be serious. That day you came in here with the whole 'Raspberry Fields Forever' musical and the (he did some waving hand gestures toward the both of them) _touching_, and the medium drip pre-order that would have been presumptuous for anyone who's _not_ together?"

"Well," Blaine cut in, "we weren't together _that_ day, but we were, like…" he turned to Kurt doing math in his head while conferring silently with his boyfriend, and Kurt supplied the answer first, "three days later."

"And now two weeks later you're already finishing each other's sentences." This made the table laugh.

In a sudden bold move, Blaine decided this was the perfect time to kiss Kurt for their first one in a very public place. Simply reaching up to run his hand along his boyfriend's chin, he placed a soft kiss on Kurt's smiling lips. The only one who didn't look downright beaming at this action was Finn, and he honestly didn't look at all as uncomfortable as he used to. He actually smiled a bit.

"Alright, come back in a month and if you're still this perfect we'll have to do something about making sure you're not completely boring to everyone around you like that Tina and Mike you were talking about. Not that I won't still love hanging with you and dancing for you here at the café any time, but it would be nice of you to entertain your poor single friends with some flaws or some crazy once in a while!"

Smoothing his bangs and shaking his head once as a dramatic pause, Kurt said to his friendly college barista, "Greg, if you ever get bored, just ask me to tell you the story of trying to make out with a girl and thinking I could pull off the plaid flannel shirt look." With that, he rolled his eyes and the rest of the table burst into laughter as Greg put on an overly-understanding look and clapped him on the back and patted his shoulder, shaking his head in commiseration.

"I don't want to be a perfect couple," Finn said suddenly, surprising everyone. "I mean, I don't care if I'm boring, but… I also don't want some perfect girl who's always bugging me to act all boyfriend-y and stuff. I want to be with a girl who just lets me be. I want to be able to act however crazy I am that day, you know?"

"Finn! Rachel is that girl, you idiot!" Kurt burst out, also adding out of the corner of his mouth, directed toward the others at the table, "Who's more crazy than Rachel?"

Trying to change the subject, Finn said, "You know who's kind of perfect? Brit and Artie."

Mercedes looked around the table dramatically, "_Actually_… you know… there is something really interesting about that. You should have seen how Artie was watching her and Santana and Puck after she got Slushied…" and she began to tell the story of the four-way jealousy she had witnessed that day.

* * *

Artie was once again surrounded by pink and orange. And… fluff. And fringy things. But he never minded this really, because Brittany's room was so… Brittany. And he loved Brittany.

She had been talking about a problem Santana was facing, and he had been brainstorming right along with her for ideas to help. After a while, he started thinking that today Brittany had been talking about Santana a lot more even than usual.

"You know, Brit… I've been wondering something."

"Yeah, sugar pumpkin?" Brittany seemed to come up with a new nickname every single time she addressed him, which was amazingly cute, but also bizarrely consistent for someone who once confused a musical "duet" with a home-goods "duvet."

"Did you notice how upset Santana was the day you got Slushied?"

She nuzzled her head onto his shoulder. "Yup."

"No, not just upset about the Cheerios doing that to you, but… did you notice that she was getting upset, like, maybe because you were going to me instead of her afterward?"

Brittany thought about it and nodded her head, still resting on his shoulder.

"Puck got all jealous that she was jealous for you… and it was kind of… crazy. Right?"

She picked up her head to give it the justice of a bit more thought. Artie was studying her face looking for any reactions, but she really had none at all.

Artie knew that it wasn't because there was nothing in her head, like when you ask her a question about vocabulary or spelling. She does have some pretty amazing intelligence, just not for most school subjects. Well actually Artie had been surprised to find that she is freakishly good at math, but that's a story for another day. What really shows her true intelligence is the way she can relate to people. She always knows when someone needs a kind word or to be left alone. She always knows exactly what to do to make someone feel included in a group that if you weren't her boyfriend and watching with interest everything that she does, you never would notice that it was something she did on purpose. It's a total knack she has for making someone feel like they did it themselves. It's one of Artie's favorite things about her. She loves people and is just so good with them, and so brilliantly skillful at relating to them.

So the fact that her face showed no reaction to the idea of Santana liking her, or to the idea of Santana being with someone else, did not make Artie think that she didn't know what to make of that. It made him realize that she had no problems with either issue.

And with that, he was done. No problems there.

Curious about Santana, though… after all he _is_ a guy and they are two unbelievably hot girls, he had to ask, "Um, Brit… You and Santana used to, um…"

"Hook up?" She supplied helpfully.

With a cough, he replied, "Yeah! Hah. Uhhh, so… was it, like…"

"Hot?"

All he could do was laugh nervously at that.

She crawled the few inches that were between them on the couch like a bobcat stalking prey, tossed the big pillow that was beside him away and replaced its support of his posture with her own arm, sliding her palm on the couch until her hand was under his thigh holding her there, "Yeah of course it was hot, Artie. She's hot, I'm hot, we got each other hot…" her breath was hot on his ear as well, and he had to capture some of that heat with his lips, pulling her in for a little bit of what he always called "Artie Lovin'!"

"So Artie, the thought of two girls turns you on, huh?"

"UH, I'm a GUY… Yeah!"

Brittany just giggled and took off his glasses to give her more spots to kiss.

Thinking he should continue this sexy talk while he had the chance, Artie started again, "So, uh… did she… ever touch you… here? Brittany giggled as he nuzzled her neck with his nose.

"Yeah…."

"Did she… touch you… here?" His fingers trailed along her collarbone down toward some cleavage. "Ooh, Artie… my goodness." She feigned shyness. "Did she?" he asked again in the same teasing and playful way. She replied "yeah…" as she leaned forward to kiss him. He didn't allow the kiss. Just yet. First he had some more teasing questions to ask.

"And… here?" His hand breached the collar of her top and slid under the strap of her bra.

"Maybe…"

"More than a few times?"

"Mmm hmmm…"

His hand moved further and she took a breath in sharply, causing his voice to become a little deeper in reaction, "There too, then?"

"Yeah."

His other hand went somewhere else quite suddenly, a place where we all know it's been before, probably many times at this point, but to Brittany it always seems like the first time and she reacts as such, which always drives Artie to distraction. He had to lean way forward to follow her as she arched back with her head thrown against the back of the couch, and asked with his breath against her ear, "And here?"

After a moment, her reply was, "Well… never… like you Artie!"

His deep (probably an octave or two lower than normal) laugh in her ear was the final straw, and she grabbed him up into her arms and with super Cheerleader/Dancer strength, practically catapulted him onto her bed.

Possibly more than a half hour later, Artie was gazing into her smiling eyes, and his last question was burning to be asked. "Brit…"

"Mm hmm?"

He placed a hand purposefully over her heart and gave her a tender kiss, asking, "Did Santana ever touch you… there?"

She blinked at the ceiling for a minute and turned to look into his dreamy eyes that were so intently trying to completely know her, and with her heart feeling like it was melting toward him to surround him and everything in her room with him, she said simply, "You're the first one who's ever touched me there."

* * *

_Chapter 10 should get back to figuring out some plans for Regionals, I imagine..._


	10. Chapter 10: Knowing You

_I had to go back to Chapter 9 to take out the joke Kurt made about his Dad trying to give him the sex talk. (I gave him a better joke anyway). I could not leave that in after the monumental occurrence of Burt Hummel's sex talk to Kurt in episode 15. It was the most amazing and perfect parent's speech ever given on the subject. I had to honor that speech and its importance._

_Brad Falchuk absolutely blew me away this week._

_As Blaine said to Burt, most schools don't have any sex ed at all._

_Sadly, most kids never have a parent telling them the most important thing about sex, which is that they are important, and that they need to honor themselves._

_However, all the lucky kids around the world who get to view episode 15 will probably internalize and remember the perfect message from Burt Hummel to Kurt (via the astonishingly brilliant writing of Brad Falchuk and the perfectly transcendent acting of Mike O'Malley and Chris Colfer) far more deeply and lastingly than anything a teacher could say to them in person. I believe that goes for gay and straight kids alike. It was exactly the message every kid needs to hear. And that is what makes Brad Falchuk a genius at what he does._

_P.S. – Did you notice the chalkboard behind Holly when she was talking with Emma and Carl? A kid obviously was given a punishment of doing lines, because "I __will not__ laugh during sex education class" was written over and over! Totally cracked me up._

_(As always, disclaiming any ownership or association with Glee or its characters, as I am only a fan who is infinitely grateful to Ryan Murphy, Ian Brennan, and Brad Falchuk for creating them and constantly giving them humor, heart and insight every episode without fail.)_

_

* * *

_

**Chapter 10: Knowing You**

On her way to West Monroe, Rachel sang as many Jule Styne songs as she could think of. She was going for the lead in _Funny Girl_ with the Monroe Theatre Group (Shawnee county's famous MTG) but she still hadn't decided what song to use for her audition. "Don't Rain on My Parade" would be an obvious choice, but she felt she didn't want to be that girl who auditions with an on-the-nose song right from the role she's going for in the show itself. She wanted to show her range. She also felt she needed to show the maturity it would take for a high school student to play the lead role in this one. So in the last few miles to Monroe, she sang "Rose's Turn" from _Gypsy_ a few times in a row until she was happy with her interpretation of the song, which after all was from another Jule Styne musical from the same era.

After her audition, she felt that she had out-danced all the other women in the room, and could only assume that she out-sang and out-read them as well, since she hadn't seen any of the others sing or read. On her way out, she nodded to the men entering the building to begin the audition process for the male roles.

She hadn't expected to run into Karofsky.

Lately she had noticed that he wasn't being a bully in the halls, and he hadn't done anything with a Slushie for months besides drinking them, so without really thinking about it much she said politely, "David. Hi. Are you picking someone up?"

Kicking at the pebbles in the parking lot, he mumbled "I'm… auditioning…" She couldn't hear him so she said, "Huh?"

He assumed she had heard and was commenting on the audacity of him being in a musical. "You know, just, like… a background part…."

"Oh. Well… That's great. Hey, it's not going to conflict with your lacrosse games is it?"

"Nah, I probably won't get any part that has to be at all the rehearsals or anything."

"Well, the opening night is April 22nd, which is a Friday, but the first Saturday performance is the one that's important. April 23rd will be the night the press comes. And I know you have games on Saturdays. But I guess your game would be over in time to rest up before the performance. Oh, you know there aren't any parts for men still open that don't have to dance, right?"

Dave was still confused why she was talking to him, and figured she must be one of those people who can't stop talking ever, so she forgot that it's him, the guy who used to dump Slushies over her head. He kind of nodded to indicate he knew he was going to have to dance.

"Oh, Yeah. I guess you did dance when we did Thriller. You were… pretty OK. I bet you'll get something in _Funny Girl_. Well, break a leg, Dave!" She turned and walked off to her car with a friendly wave.

Dave felt something happen in his chest, but he wasn't sure what to think of it, so he headed in for the audition, wondering what was wrong with his throat getting all constricted all of a sudden. It felt like when his sister was watching _Field of Dreams_ and he ended up making fun of her for crying when the guy asked his dad if he wanted to have a catch.

It occurred to Rachel to feel bad about going for the lead in this show, taking her energy away from Glee club a bit, but it was her favorite musical of all time, and she'd always dreamed of playing Fanny Brice and singing those songs as a star on the stage. She held back the feeling of guilt that was creeping up on her by singing "Don't Rain on My Parade" a couple times while stuck in traffic.

* * *

While Mercedes was volunteering at the museum, Kurt and Blaine walked along the river, making the loop from the science museum to the bridge and back.

"What do you think of those benches over there?" Kurt asked as they returned to the park behind the museum. "They're in the sun, so it's not too cold to sit outside for a while longer is it?"

Blaine agreed by smiling, hooking his arm through Kurt's and heading toward the benches.

Kurt took in the view of the grassy lawns between them and the river. "At least it's not as muddy as it's been lately. It makes you think it might be a nice Spring day one of these days."

"I don't know, I kind of liked that mud lately… I wouldn't mind watching another game of mud football if you're in it," Blaine teased, making Kurt blush. "Well seriously, I want to throw a football around with you one of these days when the fields are back in shape at Dalton, because I really do think you should go out for the team in the fall."

"I told you, I'll think about it. But I don't know if that's what I want taking up all my time. I see how Finn has no time for anything else sometimes. He's in Lacrosse season now. I think he gets more injuries there than in football. My priority has to be to keep myself in dancing condition, if I'm going to be able to start auditioning for Broadway and movies as soon as I graduate. At least, while I'm in college and all."

It was warm enough in the sun that they could remove hats and scarves and gloves and just bask in the sun and admire all the millions of sparkles playing along the river and the intricate patterns of light and dark moving on the water.

"What do you want to do after you graduate, Blaine? I've never asked."

"I don't know. I figure I'll have to do some exploring during my freshman year to decide what I really want my major to be. The only thing I know for sure is that I'd like to go work at Disney the summer after freshman year, in the college program like my brother did."

"You think you'll be a Kilimanjaro Safari driver like he was?"

"I don't think you get to choose when you're in the college program. But I'll definitely try to get that. You learn so much about the African animals from the animal care staff and all. Brian said they got together in their smaller teams like once a week and met with the veterinarians or the animal care staff and got up close to Elephants or Zebras or Giraffes while the experts were telling them all about the animals. I'd definitely like to do that."

"So is it more the performing that you like about it, how the safari drivers pretend to be taking the people on a safari through actual Africa and all, or is it telling those people all the scientific facts as you drive along, or is it more like the zoological aspect of it that you most want to be involved in?"

"Wow, Kurt. I never really broke it down like that. It's just a fun job I guess. Brian loved it, and I went on his safari like three times in a row every day I went in to visit him that whole month. But I don't know. I guess zoology is cool. I did help you pass that Biology test! You've never really asked me things like this before, Kurt. It's kind of… nice."

Kurt's eyes got big but he still looked out at the light bouncing off the river. He never realized that before. He and Blaine talked all the time, about all kinds of subjects and shared both their opinions on issues all the time, but he suddenly realized that he'd only heard maybe a tiny handful of stories about Blaine himself. A wave of regret washed over him.

"Oh, Blaine… Oh my gosh I thought it was inherently obvious that I am so interested in every single thing about you. And my goodness, at this point you know almost everything there is to know about me!"

"I doubt that's true. There's a lot to know about you, Kurt."

"Oh come on. Well you know what I mean. I kind of tend to tell you almost everything."

"I like that!"

"But Blaine, I really do want to learn all about you. I never thought to ask… I just… figured you'd tell me things that you wanted to tell me."

Kurt worried a bit when Blaine was silent for a bit longer than comfortable. Then he finally looked up from his hands and said, "I'm not really… one to offer information. I'm not really used to… talking about myself much."

"Blaine. It's time you started. I am going to make a point of asking for stories if you don't offer them yourself. Is that OK?"

Now Kurt worried even more, and thought maybe the answer was that it isn't OK, as Blaine stared off at the river in the opposite direction of Kurt so he couldn't see his face.

Deciding that he wasn't going to let this relationship slip away due to a failure to connect, Kurt laced his fingers through Blaine's and leaned in to him. He didn't say anything yet; he just nuzzled his head into Blaine's neck and then rested on his shoulder.

When Blaine finally turned his head back toward Kurt and kissed him on top of the head, Kurt asked, "Blaine, I've noticed that you have this façade or maybe that's not the right word… it's just that sometimes around me you seem like you're being more… free and uninhibited, and then around school and other times, you are so perfectly collected and cool. I mean… it's a quality that is truly amazing. You mediate situations among people so brilliantly, and you break up fights and you have such a way with people, and it's because of that calm collected demeanor. You always seem to know what to do."

Blaine shifted slightly on the bench so that they were a bit closer, and gave another kiss to Kurt's hairline. Kurt lifted his head to face him.

"So… I don't want to push you or anything. You don't have to tell me anything. All in good time, you know. I just wanted you to know that I've noticed, because most of the time you're reserved like that even around me. But no big deal figuring it out right now, right here on this bench! I'm just saying that you should know it's there. And that if it's something to do with you thinking that I'll like you less if I know the real you, that's totally wrong. It's the opposite, OK? If there's something about you that you don't want me to know, I'll bet you anything it'll turn out to be something that makes me like you even more."

Blaine kept his gaze out toward the river, but the look on his face was receptive and open, and indicated to Kurt that he was taking this in just fine.

* * *

Mercedes spotted Greg almost as soon as she and Kurt and Blaine walked into the Side Walk Café that evening.

"Hey, guys! I'm glad you could make it. Peter will be so happy you came to see his band."

Mercedes answered Greg, "We wouldn't miss it for the world, Sir Gregory!"

Greg laughed at her cute salutation, but then he leaned toward the three of them and whispered, "Actually, it's Gregers."

Mercedes stopped herself from laughing just in time. "Gregers? What is that, German?"

"No, I'm from Norway."

"Ah! Well that's an awesome name! Gregers… Olafsen?" Now she could laugh, since she was laughing at her own silly stab in the dark at a Norwegian-sounding last name.

"It's Grieg."

"Oh my gosh, Gregers Grieg? That is super cute!"

"CUTE? Great. Cute. Just what every guy wants." He shook his head into his hand. "Mean parents."

"Hey, now, my Greg Gregers Grieg. Cute is real good these days. Trust me."

"Well I already have nicknames for these two, so I'll have to come up with one for you now. How's… Cuteness. No. For you, the name should be all good. How about Goodness. Yeah, I like that one."

Blaine asked if he and Kurt could get anything for them from the bar, and Mercedes said she'd come with them.

"Bye, Goodness!"

"Bye, Gregers Grieg…. G.G."

Just then, Peter walked up, saying "What's up, G.G.?" which made Mercedes crack up and Greg scowl dramatically at the both of them.

Kurt gave Mercedes a little pinch telling her to stay and talk, and told her with his eyes that he'd be watching her as he followed Blaine to the bar.

She acted like she was ignoring him and turned to Peter, saying "OH NO. You heard that. You're not going to start calling me Goodness now too, are you? 'Cause you _know_ I prefer Goddess."

With a deep chuckle, Peter leaned to whisper in her ear, "Nah, I was hoping that I'll get to call you something else."

She gave him a look with a whole lot of attitude in it. "You did, did you? And what would that be?"

He wasn't deterred in the least, and said to her before heading toward the stage, "I'll keep you posted."

* * *

Blaine was telling the bartender, "A medium drip and a" but Kurt cut in and said, "It'll be two medium drips, please."

To Blaine's raised eyebrows, Kurt explained, "I thought I'd see what it's like to walk in your shoes, or drink in your cafe as it were... See what it's like..."

Greg heard this and raised an eyebrow himself. Yes, our Gregers is always observant and insightful as many great coffee shop attendants are. Especially when it comes to an abrupt change in coffee order from a client who always orders the same thing without fail.

Although a medium drip is clearly the perfect coffee and Blaine was sure Kurt would enjoy trying one, the real sentiment was not lost on him. It was a gesture that spoke louder than words, and it warmed Blaine's heart.

Blaine pulled him in and kissed him on the cheek as they headed toward the railing Mercedes had found for them to lean against to watch Peter's band, who had just started playing "Animal" by Neon Trees.

As usual, inside Blaine's head this song and all the sounds from the instruments as well as the lyrics were being transformed into an acapella arrangement almost of their own accord.

He looked at Kurt, and Kurt looked back at him with practically the same expression. "Do you think we could get it ready in time for Regionals?"

"Sure," Blaine answered. "We could get it perfected into winning form well before the night of April 23."

* * *

_A/N – OK, in the chapters so far, any favorite parts? Any parts that were just distracting and you'd skip over them if you could? Any concepts or descriptions that were just silly? Do you like or hate that I made Kurt great at football? Anything downright boring here? Thank you thank you thank you for answering!_

_(Have I thanked you all enough yet for all your reads and adds and messages and suggestions and reviews so far? Love love love love love! Thank you.)_


	11. Chapter 11: Flatterments

_Oh, you know where I got the title from! (It's also a friend's new favorite word!) Haha, Yay Chris Colfer making up new words as if he's Shakespeare._

_Sorry so long between chapters! Way too over-booked… Bllllllgh_

_I swear I'll be better. I've had tons of plans laid out for these characters almost since the beginning, so I just have to find time to write more often!_

_Oh yeah, and I had to change the date of Regionals. My timeframes stopped making sense, now that so much is happening between Valentine's Day and Regionals. It was becoming the longest month EVER. Regionals now takes place on April 23. As does the press opening of Funny Girl._

_(Disclaimer: Well gosh, it's a fan fiction website. I'm only a fan of what other people have created, really.)_

* * *

Chapter 11: Flatterments

A text suddenly lit up his phone and gave Kurt the excuse he needed to look away from the history paper he was finishing up. It was from Mercedes.

**Hey Kurt, you back at school already?**

-Safe and sound and editing stupid paper.

**Why stupid?**

-Nah just annoying final-stage prfreading of a 10-pg ppr due 2mrrw.

**Kurt you have the cutest abbreviations. And you know you have an iPhone & can use as many characters as you want!**

-Hahaha. I tell Carole that! She has one too. But she ALWAYS ends her texts with LOL. And she MEANS lots of love!

**ROFL**

-Exactly. I tell her that since LOL is universally understood by EVERYONE as not even laughing out loud anymore, but exactly equivalent to writing "hahaha" you can't just use it to mean whatever you want!

**Why doesn't she do like l.o.l. or something to make it diff? Or teach her about less than 3!**

-Wld b smart. But this is funnier. I get texts from her like "It was so great seeing you this weekend, Kurt. You're wonderful. LOL"

**OMG LOL for real.**

-This is why I don't make her change it. It's too funny. So: BTW, what's up? Did u have that date today?

**It was awesome. We watched his friend's basketball game and then just hung out all afternoon.**

-What is this, your 3rd or 4th date?

**Number 4.**

-Kisses?

**Sure…**

-Oh come ON, Cedes! Spill! Passionate kisses this time or is he still doing that whole chaste thing?

**Weeellll… I wouldn't call it chaste. **

-Girl, you'd better start acting like you have an iPhone and stop with the cryptic msgs!

**Let's just say that he didn't wait until he dropped me off to give me a simple goodnight kiss this time.**

**He kind of... started the kissing a bit earlier than that.**

**More like, right after he picked me up.**

-Yay! That's kind of hot. I mean you sound like you didn't quite object.

**I TOLD you I've been waiting for him to step up.**

-Yeah I know but in terms of whether he was awkward or cool or if you're compatible or not, etc.

**OH, yeah with the whole compatible thing. Yup. I'd say.**

-Yay

-Um… that's it for details?

-M! Seriously. They don't say we're attached at the ear for nothing. You had been getting worried about this. Really OK? All good?

**Boy, hold your horses! I was washing the dishes. My turn tonight. OK, so, he's a real good kisser…**

**And he is definitely the sweetest thing.**

**So, it's like, he's all polite & nice, kind of kissing as if it's constantly asking my permission? **

**Like, the kisses are sweet, soft, tentative, u know?**

**I must've kinda gave permission, def didn't shy away or want to stop I guess, cuz it got kinda more hot.**

-Oooh, Really? Keep spilling. What do u mean by hot?

**Not SO hot. I'm a good girl, Kurt! Heehee **

**Just, he kissed more and wasn't so tentative. At ALL. Felt like this is all he ever wants to do or something. I'm bad at describing!**

**Just, u know. We were good together. Real good. We kinda match each others lips. Make sense? All good for sure.**

-Yay

-So his personality, is he still as interesting as you thought?

**Kurt, this guy is so awesome. He writes songs, he plays like 7 instruments, he's into jazz and blues and soul and funk and still can play pop like nobody's business.**

**You should hear the songs he writes. He has so much heart, Kurt. And brilliant, I don't know how a person writes a song w so much insight and still sounds so pretty, and like, totally danceable. **

-Did you try writing a song with him yet?

**Oh, no Kurt. He's so much better than me.**

-Mercedes! Don't be stupid. You're a great songwriter! You could really have a gift for it. You should do more.

**OK but not with him unless I know I'm really good enough.**

-Seriously, M. You are. Believe it. You're really, really good.

**Oh guess what? Our Gregers is in love.**

-G.G.?

**Haha. Yeah. I don't think the girl knows it yet! He is so funny. Just met her. Said he knew as soon as she said her name.**

-haha! What? Funny! Bet he meant that he loved her voice or something. Gotta tell you, the sound of Blaine's voice alone did something to me even the first time I heard him speak.

**Maybe. It was all Peter said. "He knew as soon as she said her name."**

-What is it about a voice that makes you melt? You know? Really Blaine can be talking about anything, even calculus & my knees go week cuz it's so beautiful.

-ANYWAY! *headshake So what IS this girl's name that is so magical it makes our favorite barista fall for her because of it?

**Nina.**

-Nina. Huh.

**I guess we'll meet her soon.**

-Hope so. I can't wait to hear her say her name! lolz

**You know, his college drama club is putting on the musical "Bare."**

-I haven't seen that. I'll look it up. What's it about?

**IDK much, I guess I'll look it up 2. Peter says it's kind of bold to do it? I think it's Catholic school kids struggling with issues?**

**Anyway, Rachel is going to watch a rehearsal of it on Fri cuz she's working w 1 of the guys in it now...**

**And that's what I wanted to tell you about…**

-OMG Cedes, I'm reading about it right now. If you don't want spoilers I won't tell, but the ending is kind of the point of it. It's… Topical. Sad. Makes a big point.

**IDK if I'll go see it. Peter's not in it or anything. I've never gone to any of the college shows.**

-Why's Rachel involved?

**She's doing "Funny Girl" at the MTG.**

-Monroe Theater Group?

**Yeah, next month I guess. The guy playing the lead in that goes to Peter's school and has the lead in "Bare" too. She's helping him or something.**

-Wait so what's the scoop here? I'm lost.

**It's just that, she's going to the rehearsal for that guy, but she's going with Karofsky.**

-Oh. Wow.

**SOOoo, Artie told her that he doesn't trust K at ALL, so insisted on going with her 2.**

**He and Brittany are going with them since R insisted on going with K and insisted that he's OK now.**

-I doubt that.

**Exactly.**

-So wait, why is she going with him?

-OH! Never mind! I just remembered. Blaine told me he's doing community theatre. I bet he's in the show with Rachel.

**That's the gist of it.**

-Oh, phew! I just realized after I hit send, that I wasn't supposed to say anything. Not that I'd keep anything from you, M!

-But I didn't think before I just blurted that out. Yikes. It's too hard to remember what you are and aren't "supposed" to talk about! Grrrr It's just silly.

-As long as ppl at McKinley don't know. Or at least as long as we're not the ones to "out" him for his musical theatre tendencies!

**Rachel's keeping us silent about it. She says he's being nice now because of it.**

-Well, the thing is, I'm not there so I can't tell, but it sounds like he's come to grips with something. Or he's at least laying low and maybe that means he's figuring stuff out…

-But still I think he's volatile, you know? I'm with Artie. I wouldn't trust him yet.

-I'm glad Artie is smart. And with Britt going 2, they'll all b just a group and it shld be fine.

**AAAAAND==== drumroll - Santana.**

-Hmmmmm.

**She overheard Britt and A & invited self along.**

-Iiiiinteresting.

**Tell me! Typical Santana, all jealous, but, U know, her actually going w them to this = Interesting.**

-Well, keep me posted. I hope Rach knows what she's doing befriending K.

**I'll ask Artie to report.**

-Cool. Hey, I gotta go, M! Thanks for all the scoop!

**Any day, babe. Every day.**

-Have a good one!

He was opening the door as he typed the last text, since a knock was the reason he had to go in the first place.

"I present you with…" Blaine pulled two styrofoam plates out from behind his back, "dinner! I missed you tonight and figured that you forgot about dinner again, studying too hard, you silly." With the name "silly," he was already kissing Kurt on the cheek, and Kurt took the plates out of his hands to find a place for them so that he could manage a proper kiss. One needs four free hands for a proper Blaine kiss, Kurt has found recently. At least, they're much better that way, as Blaine is pretty good with his hands.

With lips that had just been thoroughly attended to, he smiled at the cute and thoughtful gesture of his boyfriend bringing dinner just in case he needed it, and told him "I actually ate some of your lovely instant mac and cheese from that box you left here." Blaine sat at the window seat, smiling to himself that he had provided Kurt's dinner already after all. Kurt continued, "I don't know WHY you love that stuff. But I must say, it does have the redeeming quality of being very easy to eat while writing a paper."

"Ah, the history paper? Did you finish it?"

"Yeah, pretty much. Just proof-reading now, I can look it over with fresh eyes in the morning."

Blaine was nodding his head. Kurt looked at the food and decided Blaine looked tastier, so he went over to sit on his couch and gestured for his knight-with-shining-styrofoam to come join him. "Blaine, you are such a sweetheart to bring me dinner!"

"I'm a sweetheart?" Blaine asked from the window.

"Yeah."

"Wow. I'm a sweetheart!" He gave it a jocular tone, but almost looked seriously impressed that someone would think that of him.

"Shut up! Get over here, you dingbat!"

"Wait. Now I'm a dingbat?"

"Yes, Blaine. And by the way, it's that 'wait' part that makes you a dingbat." He batted his eyelashes over at him all the way across the room by the window. "What are you waiting for?"

Blaine's eyes darkened and his eyelids lowered as he rose and crossed the room like he was stalking prey.

Kurt's intake of breath coincided with his eyes widening, excited by this new aggressive move as Blaine approached him. Even though it was begun in jest, in reaction to the whole "dingbat" teasing from Kurt, there was still a lot of "real" behind it.

All four hands came into play pretty quickly as soon as Blaine bent over to take control of Kurt's lips again, and then crawled onto the couch over him.

* * *

Finn was the last to join the little impromptu conference call that had already lasted almost 20 minutes, with Tina, Quinn, Artie, Mike, Mercedes and Santana arguing about Rachel. Tina had finally shouted "Mike, call Finn!" After a few minutes of trying to catch up with the arguments flying rapid-fire over the phone lines, Finn wondered why the heck nobody had called Rachel herself for gosh sake.

Finn: "Everyone, come on. Give her some credit. We don't even know if she's figured out that Regionals and her press opening are on the same night yet. Maybe she doesn't realize."

Santana: "Oh COME ON! She's not stupid. She just tends to do whatever is best for her spotlight."

Mercedes: "But Finn is right. We have to give her the benefit of the doubt. She loves the spotlight and is a total diva, but she somehow always comes through for her friends in really big ways, you know? We should just ask her what's going on."

Santana: "Please. I don't put it past her to choose a starring role in front of tons of press instead of our mere little high school competition."

Finn: "Alright, guys. Stop it. If you don't want to call her, I'm just gonna go over there. Now leave this alone. I'll talk to you later."

* * *

Seeing Finn at her doorstep suddenly, looking nervous about whatever he was going to ask her, Rachel thought this was it; he was finally there to get back together with her.

"Rachel, can I come in so we can talk about something?"

She led him to her living room and they sat on the couch. He was acting a bit more distant and stand-offish than she had imagined he would when he came to profess his love for her, especially when he pulled away from her hand touching his arm.

"What is it, Finn?"

"OK, So, all of Glee club thinks that you are gonna bail on us since Regionals is the same night as your big MTG opening."

"Oh, I figured nobody knew that was the same night."

"Rachel, are you serious? You're really gonna choose MTG over us?"

"No! Finn, of course not. Don't be ridiculous. The understudy is doing like 4 of the shows instead of me. There are three Thursday night shows and then there's the Regionals night. They never let high school students do the school nights. You'll know her. She's one of the actresses you see in almost every show the MTG puts on. I do most of the shows, and she does all the school nights, and I asked the director if we could have her do that Saturday for Regionals, too. This is all pretty standard stuff for the MTG."

"But, isn't that Saturday show the night all the press is there?"

"Not all of them. Most of the papers go then, so we get publicity for the whole run, but there are other reviews too. That first night is mostly about the show itself, and really, for community theatre, the reviews are mostly about getting people to go see it. If they want to notice me and write about what a rising star I am, they'll have opportunities for that."

"But isn't that Saturday night the one with most of the opportunities for that?"

"Well it doesn't matter, because I would suck that night if I went on while all I could think about was you guys and Regionals."

Finn's whole body language changed. His shoulders no longer faced away from her so much and his legs angled closer to hers. He sought out her eyes, and couldn't hide the look of realization in his that he should have known she'd feel that way. He felt ashamed for a split second before he thought that he was justified in wondering if she'd go for the bigger role that night.

"You really mean that, Rachel?" Oh he wanted so hard to believe that she did, and that she would choose him -well, all of them of course is what he meant to think- over the big press night.

She touched his arm again, and this time he didn't move away. "I couldn't be anywhere but with you at Regionals. If I were, I'd be lost. My mind and my heart would be with you guys anyway and I wouldn't be able to perform well at all."

The only thing in his brain at the moment was _kiss her, __just__ kiss her_, so he eventually gave up trying to form any other thoughts, and that's what he did.

* * *

Kurt woke up to the sound of his roommate turning on the sink in their tiny washroom. Time to get up, ugh. Then he realized he was not in his bed, he was on his couch, and tangled up in the arms and legs of the most gorgeous boy he'd ever seen in his life. Oh my goodness. Why didn't his roommate wake them up last night? It was obvious they had just fallen asleep innocently. Maybe it was already too late when his roommate came in and he figured it was safer for Blaine to hide out in here than to try to sneak back to his dorm after curfew. Ah, well. What's done is done. And… it's pretty comfy and awesome too.

He indulged in watching Blaine's features as he stirred a bit, but held on to sleep. The way he clung on to Kurt tighter as he did so, made Kurt wish it were Saturday. Alas, they had to get to class, so before his roommate would emerge from the washroom, he scooted up from his resting spot on Blaine's chest so that he could feather some soft kisses along his jaw line and his eyebrows until he roused and blinked his eyes open to smile at Kurt with a sleepy "mmmmm…"

Kurt chuckled at what a cute morning-face Blaine had, which he was witnessing here for the first time, and said, "Morning, Sweetheart."

Blaine slowly and gradually came out of his Kurt-centered reverie and then sat upright blurting out, "Oh my gosh! We fell asleep? I could get in so much trouble!"

"Only if anyone knew you didn't make it back. Just act like you left your dorm moments ago this morning, and you'll be fine."

"I came to walk you to breakfast." He was stretching as he said this, so it came out in a way that someone showing up at the door to say this for real wouldn't ever sound like, punctuated by a huge yawn and all.

"You can borrow a new shirt of mine, just roll up the sleeves." They both chuckled. One of Kurt's shirts would work just fine with Blaine's jacket. For breakfast at least.

Kurt's roommate left for breakfast after laughing with them about their stupidity, and giving them the heads-up that he had called Blaine's roommate when he got in last night right at curfew and found him asleep on the couch. Since his roommate had said that the resident advisor was still up over there, they figured he should stay where he was and have a better chance of not getting in trouble for being out so late. Being out past curfew is a serious violation, and they don't take any excuses.

As soon as his roommate closed the door, Blaine turned to Kurt and asked, "Hey, when we woke up, did you call me Sweetheart? Like it's my name now?"

Finishing up arranging his tie in the mirror, Kurt leaned down to the couch to give him a kiss. "Yup. I think it is. Why, would you rather I call you Medium Drip?" He went to walk away to lend impact to the cute teasing comment.

At that, Blaine jumped up and tried to stand as tall as Kurt to glare into his eyes. "Call me Medium Drip, and I'll call you 'Mr. Plaid Flannel' in public!"

"HEY! My girl Brittany kind of liked that look on me, I'll have you know."

"I don't doubt that. You look gorgeous in everything."

"Oh, please. Not like you, Blaine. You're even impossibly handsome when you first wake up in the morning. It's ridiculous."

"Aw, shucks. Thanks."

"I'm very envious, that's for sure. But hey, I'm the one who gets to look at you, so I'm actually the luckier one of the two of us!"

"Wait a minute Kurt." Blaine took his chin in his hand and looked deep in his eyes. "You're serious? Do you really not think that you're far more beautiful than I am?"

Kurt laughed out loud. That lilting, melodious laugh that always got Blaine right in the stomach-butterflies, and… elsewhere. "Blaine, now you're really being ridiculous."

Pulling on Kurt's tie and bringing their lips together slowly and tenderly, Blaine tried to think of a way to get through to that thick skull. "Sweet flattering compliments, babe, but if you really think I'm better looking than you, I'm going to have to get you a better mirror. How could I think that you're one of the most beautiful men I've ever seen if it's not true? First of all, it is impossible to get a photo of you that is not heart-stopping, classically handsome. Kurt, that's just empirical evidence. You can't argue that."

"Oh, whatever. Being photogenic is different than being good-looking in person. I do very much like the fact that you think I'm handsome, though. I'll take it!" Giggles escaped his lips as he tried to hug Blaine who took the opportunity to attack his neck with kisses.

All along that alabaster neck, in between kisses, Blaine whispered, "Everyone... on the planet... would... consider you handsome,... Kurt. Truly... beautiful."

Inside his head, Blaine was thinking about Kurt's amazing, bright, expressive eyes that saw into him deeper than anyone else ever had, and his silky skin and the way he can make those cheeks blush so easily _oh god he loved doing that_, and those eyelashes that flutter when he reacts to something Blaine says or does, and oh god those lips, those always rosy lips, and the soft eyebrows that make him so handsome and were so masterfully used to express almost anything, and make Blaine want to spend hours just kissing them alone… but he felt that gushing about all this would somehow make his point less effectively to Kurt than if he stuck to asserting that everyone in the world would agree that he is classically beautiful.

He raised his head to grace those always-rosy lips with his millionth kiss, and purred, "Kurt, if you honestly don't realize that you are as beautiful as you actually are, then I am officially now making it my job to remind you every day."

* * *

_A/N – OMG I was attacked by fluff! Someone get me peanut butter so I can make a sandwich. I really tried to push the angst, but these two only let me get a hint of it set up for now because they couldn't STOP being so cute, GOSH! They must have been influenced by the chapter title. My fault._

_Chapter 11 + headstrong characters who refuse to listen to their author or take their hands off each other + peanut butter = Fluffernutter Flattermenters_

_OK now I'm just hungry._

_There's much more drama and interesting stuff next chapter, almost completed._

Comments? (Pretty-please?) Improvement ideas? (Double-please?)


	12. Chapter 12: Hot Fluff

_These next few are the ever-expanding chapters! What was supposed to be chapter 12 is now more like chapters 12 - 16. The storylines kept growing and I had to keep sorting them into chapters that would make better sense in sequence. What's happened is that I haven't had a single moment in the past few weeks to transfer any of my writing from my phone (and a couple sticky-notes here and there) to my computer for editing and story-arc continuity. Thus, we have another group of chapters all coming out in rapid succession. I wish I could be more consistent and could have gotten them out on a more steady and timely basis! (Too much life getting in the way of fiction! Haha but also grrrrrrrr)_

_Thank you for reading! And as always, your insights and criticisms and suggestions are invaluable!_

_(Disclaimer: I still own no Glee, no Marshmallow Fluff recipes, and none of the lyrics to the song "I Set Fire to the Rain" by the inimitable Adele. I do wish that I could cut a deal, pay the royalties and have the song playing during the whole time this chapter is up. That would be cool.)_

* * *

Chapter 12: Hot Fluff

"Hey, Handso… mm…" Blaine stopped mid-stride on his way to hugging Kurt in his dorm's kitchen, and laughed at the sight of his boyfriend turning around from the counter to face him, revealing his shirt and hands and _oh my goodness how?_ even his arms covered in Marshmallow Fluff.

Kurt tried to look indignant at the laughter but failed, and shrugged with a laugh himself. "I was attacked by fluff!"

Grinning as huge as ever, as huge as he always seems to find himself grinning when he's around Kurt these days, Blaine asked, "What are you DOING?"

"Well… peanut butter jar, Fluff jar, bread… kinda obvious?"

"You do realize you could use a knife to spread the ingredients onto the bread, don't you?"

"There was… an incident."

Blaine could not stop himself from laughing now. "Kurt, how is it that you are the only person I know who can get himself into scrapes like this?" Through bouts of laughter, he stammered, "OK… You can tell me what happene…d… gah… OK, I think I can take it now… hold on… I swear I can stop laughing…." He took a huge breath, pretending to recover from something. "OK, Gorgeous. Tell me the story…!"

"It was… well… there was a problem with getting the fluff out of the jar, which led to some creativity you might say…."

Laughing even harder, Blaine prodded him on, "Kurt, Beautiful, what happened?"

"Well… see… the fluff seemed a bit hardened inside the jar, and I figured maybe it was like honey when it gets crystallized and you can't get it out of the jar, so you can warm the honey up and then it flows again…"

"You DIDN'T!" Still laughing. "So you…" More laughing. "…you didn't think of maybe putting the jar into some hot water to warm it up safely?"

"No. I did not think of that at the time, sadly. And I didn't think to set the microwave to 50% power or defrost setting or something smart like that. Hindsight."

All Blaine could do then was continue laughing and add a hand-slap to his forehead.

"So… when I opened the jar… it looked fine… but as soon as I introduced the cold knife into the hot fluff…" He indicated his shirt and arms, "This happened."

Through laughter, Blaine spit out in bits and pieces, "It broke the surface tension!"… "You actually boiled the fluff!" … "That is so… awesome!"

Suddenly, his laughter ceased, as something occurred to him. "Kurt, wait, was it boiling? Is that really what made it explode when the knife hit it? Did it burn you?" He moved to take Kurt's arms to check that out.

"Oh, no, actually. It wasn't that hot by the time it hit me. Well… it was awfully warm, but in a nice way, not a painful way at all. I'm not sure if it was boiling and then cooled in the air on its way to me, but that doesn't make sense, so maybe Fluff explodes at a lower temperature, or who knows…."

With relieved chuckles, Blaine grabbed a knife and a couple slices of bread, and simply started making a sandwich. Kurt did the same.

"I can't believe we're making these," Blaine said after a minute. "I haven't even thought about fluff and peanut butter since I was in like the 3rd grade or something. I used to trade my baloney sandwich for my best friend Mark's fluffernutter sandwich maybe every day for a year! I can't believe I used to like these! Gross."

Kurt chose to ignore the insult to the snack they were making, because he saw an opportunity to possibly get Blaine to open up about something from his past, and that was far more important to him than defending the honor of any sandwich. He asked, "Do you still stay in contact with Mark at all? I actually don't know any of my old friends from elementary school anymore."

"Nah, me either. I have no idea where he is now. Funny, isn't it?" Cutting a diagonal through his sandwich and placing it on top of Kurt's on the clean plate, he took his Handsome's fluff-filled hands and led him to the sink where he tested the stream of water until it was the perfect warmth for maximum fluff-removal, and led those hands into the water while he poured soap into his own.

The fact that this assistance was completely gratuitous, and Kurt could clearly more easily and effectively clean the fluff off his own hands and arms, was part of what made this moment so telling for both of them. Kurt had to struggle with his libido's reactions to Blaine's lovingly gentle and thorough ministrations to his hands with the soap and water, to keep his words on the conversation. "Yeah… elementary school was so long ago I can barely remember those friends." He glanced up to watch Blaine's face, which was deep in concentration on Kurt's right arm as he was caressing the fluff off much more slowly than necessary. "So, Blaine… do you still see any of your friends from your old high school at all?"

Kurt wasn't sure, but it seemed to him as though Blaine hadn't meant to let a bitter laugh slip out before he could check it, but it was obvious that he was covering it up immediately with, "Ah, you know. Whatever."

Kurt took the chance and probed a little, "Are any of your old friends still real friends?"

"No. My only real friends are the ones I've made here at Dalton." Blaine fetched a fresh hand-towel out of the drawer, beckoned Kurt toward it with "Here, Beautiful…" and wrapped his arms in it, drying them off for him in another completely unnecessary action that made Kurt's heart melt and compelled his lips onto Blaine's.

Expressing no complaints that Blaine turned Kurt's soft sweet kiss eventually into an increasingly passionate and urgent one, he looked deep into Blaine's eyes and thought maybe, just maybe, he was making progress at last and he could continue this moment of Blaine actually sharing his emotions from the past. He asked, "What happened with your old friends?" He thought he could feel Blaine sort of coming around, and this feeling was not off-base in the least.

"I don't know, you know… we were all young. I mean; freshman and sophomore years in high school were when my friends were figuring themselves out at the same time I was figuring myself out, you know? I know that was just last year and the year before, like as if we were SO much younger then… but it really does feel like ages ago. And freshman year really was a long time ago anyway. That's when my closest friend was always bugging me about why I never found any of these girls interesting at all, and things like that."

"How did that go over," Kurt asked as he hung the towel next to the sink and led Blaine over to the stools to sit together at the counter, running one of his excessively-clean hands through his thoughtful boyfriend's curly bangs.

"I don't know… I wasn't admitting or announcing anything ever… it was just a thing where I never was a part of all that with my friends, when they talked about girls all the time and I couldn't really be a part of that, because I never sat around pretending and making stuff up like 'oh yeah I know what you mean, what a nice rack on that one' or anything like that. So I just wasn't a part of most of their bonding, and so we kind of drifted apart I guess. But I don't know, we still talked about baseball and football all the time and everything… I don't know. It DIDN'T go over well when I finally admitted that I was gay last year. That's for sure. I was on the football team and I had to quit just because it was so uncomfortable always being avoided. And when everyone on a team refuses to touch you, there's really no way to actually play football, right? Crazy. At Dalton, that would never happen. If someone on the football team here is homophobic it's up to him to get over it himself."

Seeing all the dishes strewn over the counter from their sandwich-making adventures, they started to move them into the sink to wash them, without needing any words, just easily coordinating their efforts in that way they had together that made people think they must share a psychic connection. Kurt wished he could be psychic about Blaine's feelings, though.

Kurt was noticing Blaine's transformation beginning, with his tone of voice still open and friendly, but his body language starting to revert back to his perfect-Dalton-guarded persona, from its free and easy and uninhibited manner Kurt had enjoyed seeing in Blaine so far today, and he hoped he might be able to push him a bit more to stave off that change, and maybe get him to get real and let Kurt in just a little. He asked, "You ended up transferring here mostly because of bullies, though?" When Blaine just nodded in a way that said _yeah of course, you already know that_, Kurt pushed again, asking, "Was it bad?"

"You know, not really… it wasn't anywhere near as bad as your school with the physical attacks and drink-throwing and I can't believe your dumpster attacks and all that…." Blaine shook his head, remembering Kurt's stories. "For me it was just the fact that I couldn't have a normal high school education if I was always watching over my shoulder and wondering if they would one day decide to escalate their verbal abuse to something else. You just never know, so it's definitely not conducive to studying and concentrating. At all. And since there was nothing anyone could do about it, my parents and I went looking at other schools, and Dalton had all the activities I was interested in, and a good football team and an amazing glee club, and the people I met when we visited here seemed more like me than anyone at my old school… they seemed like people I would get along with. And it turned out I was right."

Kurt knew without a doubt that this wasn't the whole story. The facts may be complete, but Blaine's experience wasn't being told completely. There was more hidden emotional content to this that he wasn't opening up about, but was clear to see in its avoidance, and Kurt really hoped that he would get him to open up sometime about how all that affected him, but obviously not tonight… he could see that Blaine was already back to the body language and speech patterns of his dapper Dalton reserved and conservative mode.

Still, Kurt is the guy who always sees things through until the very last possible effort is spent. The kitchen and all the dishes were clean by now, and they sat down to look at their fluffernuter sandwiches and contemplate whether or not they were adventuresome enough to try the overly-sweet ridiculous combination. Picking one of the triangles up and playing with it in his hands, Kurt said, "Do you mind me asking about your parents, Blaine?"

"Of course not, Gorgeous. You can always ask me anything, you know that."

"Well, you said your Dad thought that fixing cars with you and things like that might get you to turn straight or something…?" He waited for Blaine's nod before he continued, "Is he still like that?"

Blaine instantly replied, "Nah. He's over that. They both are fine now. We don't talk about it all the time or anything, but it's fine."

Both of them having decided that a couple bites of a fluffernutter sandwich is more than enough, they went to the sink to wrap the sandwiches for someone else who might like them, and clean that last plate. Leaning on the sink after finishing the plate, Kurt said, "Sweetheart…" and waited for Blaine to look at him. "Do you talk about it at all with your family?"

"Talk about me being gay? Or romance in general? Or… never mind, you know, I'm answering my own question. Or rather, my clarifications on your question. No, we don't really talk about any of that. That's fine. Most kids don't. I don't really remember my brother talking all about his love life either. They show they love me and support me, and we can talk about anything… it's fine. They're good."

Now his tone was all the way back to that of his Dalton-dapper mode, and Kurt knew he wouldn't be breaking down any more walls today. So he splashed some water up at Blaine's face, then ducked away since Blaine's reflexes are astonishing and he had the water hose out of the sink and directed at Kurt's head in a split second. Kurt dove for the jar of fluff, opened it and dug his finger in even as Blaine yelled wide-eyed, "You WOULDN'T!"

"Oh… I think I would…" Kurt just barely managed to wrestle past Blaine's defending arm and the barrage of water from the other hand holding the hose at as much of Kurt as possible, and he got a huge dollop of fluff right on Blaine's nose.

"Oh, this means WAR!" Blaine dropped the hose and pinned his boyfriend, soaking wet from head to foot, against the kitchen counter, and tried to steady his breathing, not from the wrestling and water fight, but the realization that he had just pinned his boyfriend, who is soaking wet from head to foot, against the kitchen counter.

War instantly over, Kurt smiled beguilingly at their predicament, and began to lick the fluff off his suddenly flustered boyfriend's nose.

In the background, from Kurt's iPod on the shelf, Adele was singing "I set fire to the rain, watched it pour as I touched your face…" and it brought images of their first kiss to his mind, the one they both had wanted to continue but they each misinterpreted as soon as they were out of the pouring rain, and Kurt began to wonder if these two sides to Blaine, the one he unleashes with Kurt sometimes in safe moments and free moments, and the one he pulls over himself to project a conservative, controlled persona even with Kurt most of the time, may possibly be a factor in their failure to truly connect… sometimes. Like that time. That kiss in the pouring rain which should have led instantly to this. This connection.

He was thinking _is this connection enough or are we missing something, even this early in our relationship,_ as Adele's words "there was a side to you I never knew, never knew" brushed past his conscious thoughts… _ should I let him come around at his own pace or does he need me to push to break through his barriers?_ Adele sang on and he just barely kept the tears that began welling in his eyes at bay as he realized she was singing the advice he was asking for, right then and there from his iPod, "Even now when you're already over, I can't help myself from looking for you…" Even as they kissed, and he felt Blaine's love for him in that kiss, he knew there was a truth dawning on him. Adele sang "I set fire to the rain, And I threw us into the flames…" and he knew the difficult answer. Ah, but Kurt Hummel was never one to shrink back from pushing when that's what's needed.

* * *

A/N: I'm sure it's not necessary, but a big WARNING: Do not try this at home! Fluff would indeed burn you I believe, if it was hot. And it would be stuck to you, thus intensifying the burns. Not that I would try it to find out. And neither should you.

You can try washing someone else's hands in a sink if you like. I imagine that would be safe. Depending on the relative levels of the resulting water fight.

(Hey, song drabble expert... yes, you, G.G. -I totally saw your style in my last couple paragraphs! Awww I'm learning from you! *hugs)


	13. Chapter 13: Dream a Little Dream

_(Disclaimer: I did not create nor name anything in this story that was taken from Glee. A coffee shop called "The Lima Bean" does not exist outside the imagination of the creators of Glee, however I believe the town of Lima, Ohio is real so someone could potentially someday open one. Well, maybe they already have. Nope. I'm back… I just went to look it up on Google Maps. There's a "Bean Town Coffee" in Lima, though. I suppose they must decorate it with Red Sox and Celtics and Bruins paraphernalia, maybe some photos of the Kennedys, and perhaps they serve molasses-sweet Boston baked beans, corn bread, and Boston Cream Pie. Oh and Sam Adams beer if they serve alcohol. I guess I'd feel at home there if I ever found myself in Ohio. OK, NOW I'm just making stuff up!)_

_Speaking of making stuff up, thanks for tons of these ideas, my Watermelon Queen! (I even took something from your real life…! hahahahaha)_

_Oh, and don't see the movie "Super" unless you're good at closing your eyes in time to avoid the graphic violence! Otherwise… awesome. I was at a preview of it at the fabulous independent Brattle Theater, where James Gunn spoke, and the last question he answered was "What have you learned over the years writing for the screen?" His answer was, "The most important thing I've learned is that if you want to write, always finish what you start. It doesn't matter if it sucks. Just finish it." Cool, huh? Love him._

* * *

Chapter 13: Dream a Little Dream

Greg and Nina walked into the Lima Bean and immediately located their friends. Despite the fact that the table was in the back, it contained Mercedes and Kurt, which made it easy to be heard. Just follow the distinctive laughter. This was only date number six for Mercedes and Peter, and already they were one of those couples who couldn't keep their hands off each other. Kurt and Blaine would have been like that too, and they were some of the time, but Blaine's too-often conservative demeanor kept them mostly gazing and holding hands in public.

Even from across the room, Nina noticed how similar Blaine and Peter looked in their expressions, watching their partners talking and laughing, and looking completely content and fulfilled just to be able to follow the conversation and gaze and admire. She involuntarily let out a soft chuckle. When Greg asked "What?" she simply replied "isn't love grand?" and his heart dared to dream that maybe one day she'll say that to him and mean that she's fallen in love with him. Perhaps that dream will come true some day soon.

"Hey! G.G! Nina!" Peter called out as they approached. "You guys made it in time for at least one coffee before we have to leave for the movie!" Peter only calls Greg "G.G." when he's with these guys, so it was the first time he'd ever called him that in front of Nina. She gave Greg a little amused and questioning look.

Greg rolled his eyes and told her he'd explain it later… then broke down and told her the whole story. Which of course got everyone calling Mercedes "Goodness" and Blaine "Medium Drip" for the rest of the night as well, about which neither of them was entirely happy. Sometimes, you just have to roll your eyes and accept the ridiculous things your friends impose upon you to show they love you, in their own misguided but in the end, ever so charming ways.

Peter said to Greg as he watched Greg pull a chair to the table for his Nina, "We were beginning to worry, since you're usually early everywhere. I've never known you to run late."

Dragging another chair over for himself, between Nina and Blaine, he sheepishly replied while re-arranging their coffee mugs in front of them, "We were uh… finishing up an episode of… a TV show we've been catching up on these days."

"This sounds interesting…" Kurt picked up on Greg's hesitation immediately. "I do believe you're trying not to disclose which show. Shall we all try to guess?"

"Mad Men!" Mercedes guessed, leaning back into Peter's arms.

Peter shook his head while tightening his arms around Mercedes and said, "Nah, he wouldn't be embarrassed about admitting that. I say it's something like 'Vampire Diaries.'"

"Nah, they wouldn't be watching multiple episodes of that one, to catch up on it like he said," Blaine offered. "At least I don't think." He studied Greg's poker face and came up with, "I'm guessing 30 Rock."

Kurt shook his head now, saying, "Again, not something G.G. would be embarrassed about."

Mercedes shouted out, "Gossip Girl!"

Everyone started coming up with crazy guesses all at once.

"Ugly Betty!"

"Cougar Town!"

"Grey's Anatomy!"

"The Biggest Loser!"

"Amazing Race!"

"Buffy the Vampire Slayer!"

"Supernatural! OH! Yes, is it Supernatural?"

"Alright, alright. I'll tell you," Greg finally allowed. "It's Gilmore Girls. We're up to season 4 now." Over everyone's laughter, he finished explaining, "It's something Nina loves, and wanted me to share, and it's actually well written and pretty darn interesting."

Nina and Mercedes got into a conversation about how Gilmore Girls ended and alternate directions the story could have gone from there, and Peter and Kurt resumed their debate on comic book heroes they had begun earlier, since the movie they were seeing tonight was James Gunn's "Super."

Leaning over to shove Greg's shoulder with his, Blaine told him "I've watched a few episodes of that show with my brother and his girlfriend. It's pretty good."

"Right? I know!" Greg laughed and nodded his head toward Nina. "It takes a girl like this one to get you into something like that, though. I bet your brother never would have watched it if he wasn't sitting next to his girlfriend at the time, and you probably just wandered in to see what they were watching, am I right?"

"Almost exactly. I think Brian totally watches it on his own now, though. You know, you and Brian would get along. You have a lot in common. I mean, not the Gilmore Girls thing. Well, not just that, I guess! Hahaha."

"So your brother's name is Brian? Brian and Blaine? Seriously?"

"Oh, it's a good story. I'll let him tell it when you meet him. He's better at imitating himself as a kid, accidentally naming his own brother... Yeah... it's a good story. He'll tell it."

"He's your older brother?"

"Yeah, actually. He's three years older. Seriously, if he comes home for spring break I'll bring him by your coffee shop. You actually remind me of him sometimes. You often do, actually." Blaine squinted and said, "Am I actually using the word 'actually' too much?"

"No, you're actually not."

"Good."

Chuckling, Greg got back to the subject. "Well, let me know when he comes by, and we can all go do something. Maybe catch a Gilmore Girls marathon or something. …Ah, you know I'm kidding about that."

"I always know when you're kidding, Greg. You're so much like my brother that way, actually. Are you sure I'm not saying 'actually' too much?"

"I'm actually positive."

"Hey if Colleen visits with him, she and Nina can discuss their television-watching influence methods with each other too. Actually, that would be (seriously did I just say it AGAIN?) …Anyway, that would be a nice group. I think we all sing, except for you."

"Hey, I sing! OK, not well. But I sing. Not exactly on-key, per se… but I usually know most of the lyrics anyway. Enough to make up the rest… "There's a bathroom on the right," and "Set an open course full of urgency," and "While I'm alone and clueless as me," and all that.

Laughing, Blaine forced a mock-contemplative look on his face and listed out, "_There's a bad moon on the rise_: classic. _Set an open course for the virgin sea_: I'm Sailing Away is one of my favorite songs of all time. But _While I'm alone and clueless_… OH! I just got that one. 'Dream a Little Dream of Me?'" Greg nodded and then shrugged, indicating that he really doesn't know the right lyrics to that one. So Blaine supplied them, "_While I'm alone and blue as can be._ You should get Nina to sing that to you. I hear she has a couple albums out already on iTunes, right? Jazz singing?"

Greg leaned in to tell Blaine in confidence, "Yeah, I have both of her albums on random-play for my alarm, so I never know which of her songs she's going to wake me up with every morning."

Blaine threw his head back to laugh heartily at that, as though having someone's songs playing to sing you awake every morning as your alarm was the funniest thing he'd ever heard of.

But then of course the thought of having Kurt's voice wake him every morning popped into his head, and he began to consider setting up such an alarm himself and poured over in his mind the recordings available for such a thing and started choosing which songs of Kurt's he could use. "I guess that would work as an alarm, wouldn't it?"

"Oh, absolutely. I never hit the snooze button anymore. Who could tell Nina to shut up and stop singing? Right?"

"I guess that's true. That's actually a great idea!" And he was already planning to ask Kurt to record "Dream a Little Dream" for him.

That might be a good distraction they could work on together tonight when they got back to Kurt's house after the movie. Blaine was planning to hang out there until after they got word from Artie that everything went OK at that rehearsal Rachel was bringing Karofsky to.

He didn't really know what they were all worried about there, since Rachel and Dave were working together all the time in their own rehearsals for Funny Girl these days anyway. But he supposed they had enough history of watching him berate and humiliate their friends, that they had a point in wanting to make sure she wasn't alone with him in case he's still unstable in any way, or has anger issues or whatever. Blaine was sure everything would be perfectly fine, but he was glad to have a reason to stay with Kurt for as much longer as necessary tonight… you know, to lend him support.

With any luck, those guys would stay out really late, and Blaine would have to stay up with him long after his parents had said goodnight, and Kurt would fall asleep on his shoulder, and Blaine would read the text from Artie when the all-clear comes in, and try to decide how to wake Kurt up to tell him about it. Mmmm. It's nice to dream little dreams like that.

.

.

* * *

A/N – Look down. That button! I dare you to tell me something I should have done differently or something you found silly or something you wish I would get back to or expand on or leave out altogether… or anything you dislike! Or requests? Or… what makes you keep reading this? Even if it's that you're hoping it will stop being boring and pick up? (Please? Criticize! I'll looooove you for it!)


	14. Chapter 14: Bare

(Disclaimer: It's a fan fiction website and I'm writing fiction based on a show of which I am a fan. And that's as far as it goes. I'm just a fan.)

* * *

Chapter 14: Bare

Brittany was a bit disturbed because she didn't know how to feel about this. Rachel had come to realize that it wasn't just a conversation topic Britt had brought up; it was really something that was bothering her.

They were at the mirror in the ladies room after the "Bare – The Musical" rehearsal they were at the college to watch, and Rachel had answered what she thought was just an interesting thought-provoking type question when Brittany had asked why it was so hot to watch those two guys kissing on stage. "Well, it's two gorgeous guys, which is nice to look at," she had quipped, but the look on Brittany's face showed that it wasn't just a conversation point. She thought a bit deeper and offered, "I guess love is love, and it's always beautiful to see. Especially when actors are as amazing as those two are, right?"

Brittany kind of nodded her head, but she asked, "I don't get why it would be so hot for a girl to see that, though. It doesn't make any sense to me. Not really. I don't know what to think about that."

"Well… maybe it's like when you're watching a movie, when the handsome actor is saying romantic lines to the girl, you kind of put yourself in her place, and when he kisses her you're still in her place, but when the camera is on her, then you're just analyzing what you would have said if that had been you, and stuff like that. So if it's two guys, you can listen to the lines from either one or both of them and imagine yourself on the receiving end of all those romantic lines, and you can look at both gorgeous faces and imagine yourself looking at someone like that." She shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe it's because you can imagine yourself in a scene like that the whole time, and you never get pulled out of the moment when the camera turns to the girl instead." She suddenly shook her head, realizing something. "I, well I don't know."

Brittany actually looked upset.

So Rachel thought of another thing. "You know, the most passionate love stories in fiction and movies and all, are the against-all-odds ones, the ones that have the couples fighting to be together because their love is so strong. Right? So, even though I wish it wasn't this way, whenever you have a gay relationship starting up, they have a lot of odds to face that are just inherent in the fact that they're gay in a world where there are obstacles that shouldn't be there but they are. So in fiction, that ramps up the passion and the effect it has on the audience when they beat the odds and get together. Do you think that's what it is?"

Brittany gave a non-committal shake of her head and just said, "I don't picture myself looking at either one of the guys. I don't really imagine being in the scene like that, not even in movies. It never seems to apply to me."

As they headed back to the rest of their group, Rachel worked on more questions for Brittany that she'd bring up another time.

Rachel's actor friend Charles was laughing at something Artie had said as the girls joined them at the table. Brittany asked him as soon as she sat down, "So are you two a couple?"

Charles asked her, "Who two?"

"You and the guy who plays Peter," Brittany clarified.

"Oh, no. We're not a couple. I'm straight."

"Well, you're _very_ good actors, then. That was some convincing kissing."

Charles laughed and thanked her for complimenting his acting.

Dave asked him if it's weird kissing a guy on stage like that, "If you're straight, does it bother you?"

"Nah, not at all," was Charles' immediate response, "Kissing a girl on stage is the same… if you're not into a girl you're playing opposite and you have to kiss her, it's like kissing a dinner plate or something. It's just nothing. It's no problem or anything. It's all just acting. Jordan's gay, but I think him kissing me is not much different than him kissing a girl on stage. The only bad thing is if you actually are into a girl you have to kiss. That's when you have a hard time getting your acting in gear, because it's distracting. But even then, as soon as you're in front of everyone, and all the rest of the cast and everything, you're just feeling nothing but the pressure to act and interpret the scene well and even just remember your lines and all that."

Even though Dave was becoming more interested in acting lately, the only thing he really noted from that advice from Charles was the fact that the tall and sophisticated-looking and really kind of interesting Jordan, who was walking toward their table at the moment, was gay.

"Hey, Jordan, you in on pizza? We're ordering." Charles called out as he headed over to them.

"Yeah, sure." Jordan sat down, and Charles began introducing him around the table. He didn't say much, but Dave kind of liked that particular trait in people. Cute and quiet.

As they all began getting deeper into a conversation about musical theater trends, it turned out Jordan was not the quiet type at all, he's too into asserting his opinion on everything, but he sure is something to look at, which made up for that in Dave's mind.

There's a way a person can look at you sometimes, that makes it unmistakable what they are thinking. So when Dave said he was going to check out the display in the entrance of the Theater Arts Building, Jordan followed him.

Jordan found that Dave really was standing in front the display, so he put his hand on his lower back as he said, "Hey." Dave never had anyone touch him so easily before. It was almost a shock. He turned (and as he moved of course that caused Jordan's hand to slide along his back since he hadn't removed his hand yet) and he looked up into Jordan's eyes, letting out a quick breath.

Jordan answered his questioning look with one of those little nods of acceptance that say so much. Dave took one step forward and was surrounding the guy just like that. Their lips crushed together and almost immediately their tongues were battling for dominance, but in a good way. Dave tugged Jordan's shirt out from being tucked in, so he could run a hand up his back. Eventually his hands made it to Jordan's chest and the way he was responding with little moans made Dave think he would die if he didn't push this guy up against a wall right now and… But as soon as he did, and both hands flew down Jordan's sides to grab his hips, he felt the beginnings of possible tears welling in his eyes_. Is this… fear? No. Love? No, duh. Regret? Definitely not. Sadness? Heck no. _ He searched his brain for a source of this feeling, and he came up with nothing besides something related to relief. He pulled back, and looked into Jordan's eyes. The answers really weren't there, but the guy sure was hot. He kissed him again, crushing their bodies together against that handy wall, and realized this is where he belongs. Kissing a sexy guy. But is it this guy who is giving him these weird feelings? No… well, kind of, but not like deep feelings for this guy he only just met. Maybe when he gets to know him? His kisses became more gentle and soft, figuring out how to wind down a hot kissing session by cooling down a bit, and as the kisses turned sweet, he gradually came to the realization that this whole sex thing is about feelings. _Damn._ His dominant thought was, _Great. Turns out I am a total teddy bear when it comes to guys. Oh crap, not that again. _That's what his sister used to call him: "a big teddy bear," until he started punching her every time she did, and by the time her arm got tired of that abuse she finally stopped calling him that. _A big teddy bear? No. Definitely not me. "Dave Karofsky: Badass football player, killer lacrosse fiend, and sweet as heck in the sack." No. That's definitely not it. Maybe it's just this guy, maybe I just like kissing this guy a little softer… damn it, I don't know._

Jordan looked up as if to inquire what made Dave's escalating aggression with his lips and hands and teeth and… everything, begin to wane instead. He searched Dave's eyes with simple curiosity and amusement. Dave's mind whispered "let me take you out for coffee or something" but his lips could only manage, "We should get back, I think that was the pizza guy at the other doors." He did, however, pause to give him one last soft and lingering kiss.

They got back to the table just as Charles and Rachel were getting the price from the pizza guy and starting to divide the total to figure out how much each of them should contribute. Brittany just took a slice of pizza and bit into it, saying, "four eighty each." Jordan looked over at Charlie's phone where he was entering their calculations, and was saying, "Did you calculate the tip before the tax?" All the rest of them were already taking their money out, Santana was already eating a slice of pizza, and seeing Brittany hand over a $5 bill, did the same. Brittany, used to people ignoring her in these situations, simply said, "Five dollars each would make it closer to a 20% tip, though, which is nicer."

Charles and Jordan completed their calculations and Charles announced, "Four eighty each is exactly 15% tip calculated before taxes and then adding the taxes in to the total. But $5 is easier for everyone to make change."

At that point none of them were listening, as everyone else had already forked over their $5 each and were already eating their pizza, Santana saying "That's my girl" and Artie saying to Charles, "You learn to just trust her. I never bother with calculators anymore." They all resumed talking and laughing and eating their pizza, except for Jordan, who scoffed and took Charles's phone to do the calculations again. "Five dollars each would be a 19.7% tip. …Oh. OK." Then he almost dropped the phone when Santana "accidentally" stepped on his foot on her way to sit next to Brittany.

.

.


	15. Chapter 15: Walking After Midnight

(I don't own Glee or anything, and certainly not the song "Walking After Midnight" but I sure can't get Patsy Cline's voice out of my head now!)

* * *

Chapter 15: Walking After Midnight

Santana stood and stared at her front door, not moving to enter her house but wondering what else she should do. In the end, her mind was in too much turmoil to do anything other than go off walking or maybe jogging, and try to either sort out or else get rid of her thoughts through exercise. Or just wandering.

Wandering is what happened, and she ended up miles from home, still wanting to walk farther but forcing herself to circle back. She figured she'd make it a circuitous route, allowing herself to wander for as long as it took. But she would definitely NOT, no matter what she did, go past Brittany's house.

Some lines from a song kept growing in her, independent of any conscious thought, until without realizing it and not knowing when she had even started, she was singing. Winding through the streets of her town, far from her own neighborhood, her voice was softly gracing the trees with doleful notes.

"I go out walking, after midnight,  
Out in the moonlight,  
Just like we used to do,  
I'm always walking, after midnight,  
Searching for you."

Santana couldn't understand why she should be wandering around lonely and pining away like this, when she had already walked past several houses of boys she knew she could merely knock on their door and have them fall over themselves for the chance to spend the night with her. There is absolutely no reason for her to be alone if she wants some company.

"I stop and see a weeping willow,  
Crying on his pillow,  
Maybe he's crying for me,  
And as the skies turn gloomy,  
Night winds whisper to me,  
I'm lonesome as I can be…"

"I'm always walking…"

Thinking he heard a familiar voice, Kurt looked up from where he had been gazing at Blaine's sleeping head in his lap, but of course there was nothing to see out the dark windows without getting up to go over there. He let his eyes drift back down to those soft curls he was stroking and those eyelashes that fluttered just a tiny bit every time those tantalizing lips parted ever so slightly in a tiny soft snore (so funny so adorable so cute so... um well, kinda sexy) and he tried to tune his ears to draw in what he was hearing out the window.

He didn't even consider getting up to look outside or to open the door to hear better, because as his mom always used to say, "I can't get up right now, I have a cat!" The whole family (all three of them plus any visiting aunts or uncles) used to use that phrase to mean that the cat was curled up asleep in their lap, which gave them the right to have everyone else bring them things and do anything for them that would otherwise require getting up. Who can get up when a cat is happily sleeping on their lap? Well, this time he had a Blaine. Same concept. Same conviction not to get up as long as that soft purring (I mean snoring) was going on.

It dawned on Kurt that the voice he was hearing outside, moving along his street, was Santana's. As her sultry and deeply contemplative and somewhat pained-sounding voice passed closer by his house now, the lines she was singing went straight to his soul with no chance for escape.

"…Well that's only my way,  
Of saying I love you.  
I'm always walking after midnight,  
Searching for you."

His eyes were so riveted to Blaine's completely safe, peaceful, contented surrender in his lap that he thought he'd never look away again. _But... why do I feel like I'm searching for him if he's right here?_

He could go out there right now and ask Santana how the night went and ask if she left early since there was still no text or call from Artie or anyone else, showing yet on his phone over on the arm of the sofa. He could also find out if she needed someone to talk to, she sounded so melancholy and almost defeated. Oh, but he had a Blaine. There was a Blaine in his lap. There he was, Kurt Hummel, the one guy in the world who was allowed to run his hands over his hair as he slept. _Oh damn, I think I'm in love with him… _He stroked Blaine's cheek just like he would a cat, and thought, _Oh wow, I am definitely in love with him._

An actual cat from the neighborhood ran in front of Santana, a black one, and it didn't even register in her short-term memory (not that she was superstitious at all about that kind of thing) as her whispered words still created the most beautiful melody amidst the trees and houses along the sleepy street,

"... as the skies turn gloomy,  
Night winds whisper to me,  
I'm lonesome as I can be..."

"I'm always walking, after midnight,  
Out in the moonlight,  
Just hoping you might be,  
Somewhere out walking after midnight,  
Searching for me."

The moon peeked through some trees and she stared up at its bright crescent shape and wished that she didn't want Brittany so much right now, wished that she didn't need and desire and love... Love? _Oh, crap._

Artie sat bolt upright all of a sudden, jostling Brittany out of almost-sleep. "What is it, Sugar Pot-Pie?" Artie paused for just a split second at this one (every once in a while, just once in a blue moon, one of her nicknames would make him think "what?" but since she had a different and newly fresh and inventive nickname each and every time she addressed him, it ended up being just another one of the many, many things he adored about her) and then gave her a little kiss saying, "nothing, sweetie, I'm sorry to wake you. Is my phone over on your side? I totally forgot to text Kurt." She groped all over the top of the bedside table without even turning her head to look, and eventually landed on something that felt very much like a phone. She brought it over to look at it, and it was indeed a phone, but not Artie's. She put it back on the bedside table, saying, "Nope. No phone."

Artie gave her that "are you kidding me?" look that always morphed into "oh, she's not kidding" - an expression his face was an expert at by now. "Sweetie, do you think I could just use your phone since we know where that one is now?"

She giggled as she handed him her phone, and he couldn't help taking a moment to smother her with kisses so he could feel her giggling in his arms, squirming with joy under his talented lips.

She felt so contented, like she couldn't remember another time in her life she had ever been so serene, so... at home. At home... there was something there in the back of her head... yeah, there were some times she felt more at home... lost in the back of her mind, swimming just out of reach, what was it? What was trying to come to the surface but nowhere near?

As she searched her mind, the moon moved just into the right position (or she supposed the earth was the one moving faster, although they both move, don't they? Another bit of information swimming too far out of reach to bother fishing for tonight before falling asleep) and a bright moonbeam broke through the orange blinds of her pink-bordered window. Her eyes were caught as though in a tractor-beam. The shape of the moon sorted itself in her blurry eyes as they adjusted to the light, and then as fast as the crescent became sharp and clear, it blurred again from her sleepy eyes losing focus on purpose. And for some reason the image that popped into her mind was Santana, covering the moon so those eyes, those lips, that hair, that face was all she could see.

The phone lit up on the arm of the sofa, _finally!_ and Kurt reached for it, reading the text, "Hey Kurt, it's Artie typing... Sorry so late!"

Another text popped up replacing that one since he hadn't swiped to unlock the screen yet. "Night was fine. All good. Everyone happy. No worries. Night, dude! Sorry!"

Kurt looked down and just soaked in his boyfriend's sleeping features again, quietly and happily wondering how to wake him to tell him the news and let him head home finally.

He didn't know that this was Blaine's dream from earlier, coming true. Only it was coming true backwards, with him being the one who fell asleep on Kurt's shoulder while watching an old Fred Astair movie to get the violence of "Super" out of their heads, Kurt helping his sleepy head slip softly down to his chest with enough awareness still to cuddle in, and then eventually when heavier sleep made his head heavier, drifting down to rest in his lap. All of it was almost exactly how Blaine had dreamed it earlier, right down to the boy gazing at a boy he loves, contemplating how and when to wake him from his sensual slumber.

Kurt wasn't aware of Blaine's little dream, but he was certainly living a dream. Even with the subtle worries he had about when Blaine would let him in, really let him in, he knew he was already in further than anyone before, and that made him happy beyond measure.

He didn't even realize he was humming, "Just hoping you might be, Somewhere out walking after midnight, Searching for me..."

.

.


	16. Chapter 16: Lots of Fluff! Or: Payback

_This one was supposed to be part of a longer chapter but it's been waiting weeks for its turn and the rest of the chapter may not get written until I can write on a computer instead of my phone. __So it is now being given its own status as its own chapter._

_It is all fluff. Really. All Fluff. Begins with fluff, ends with Fluff. Lots of Fluff. Ooh… now changing the chapter title to that. And possibly will start signing off on emails that way. (Better than using LOL to mean "Lots of Love" like Carole and my actual mom do)!_

_Lots of Fluff, everyone!_

_._

AAaaaaargh…. One more thing…

Commencing unnecessary author's note that has nothing to do with the story so you should probably skip reading it… but I just watched clips of The Today Show and it is bugging me SO MUCH that they had the Warblers lip-syncing to the studio recording while Darren Criss sang live! Have you seen lots of Darren's live performances? He is amazing! He is great at overcoming onstage issues, or just improvising something different vocally on the spur of the moment whether it's just him and a guitar or if he's singing with a large band. He's a fantastic and experienced live singer. So it seems the only way to make him sound a bit… not as amazing… is to have him singing live trying to blend with a slick studio recording during a high-energy live performance! Gaaaah! Who thought that could possibly work? Slick polished studio voices don't match high-energy live performance! Everything Darren had to accommodate for onstage there was unnatural and impossible. Elton John couldn't do it! Lady Gaga or Dave Matthews couldn't do it! Just… why?

1. The Warbler actors all are amazing singers in their own right. Why make them lip-sync to canned voices? Let them sing the damn song with Darren!

2. The most amazing live singer (such as our Darren Criss!) could never sing along with a slick studio recording of canned vocals instead of other live singers, and have that mix sound right at all in a live performance.

3. Why not have the actual Tufts Beelzabubs sing live with Darren once? Those are their voices on that slick studio recording, they are after all the ones who arranged the songs in the first place, and they have plenty of live performance experience themselves.

4. Grrrrrrrrrr

My point: One or the other! 1 or 3. Choice number 2 was a disservice to all involved. –Thankfully Dominic, Riker, Curt, Nelson, Aaron, et al are too cute on stage for it to be that terrible, it's always nice to hear the Beelzabubs' recordings, and Darren pulled it off and rocked anyway despite the atrociousness of being forced to sing and dance and perform live along with canned back-up voices (as amazing as the Bubs are) that could never blend right in a live performance.

Oh, I live for the day when he gets back to that studio album he was recording before he started Glee! One day we will have Good Old Moon, Categories, The Muse, and more! In our iPods!

_OK, sorry. Back to story. *apologetically gesturing toward the Fluffy text below_

_Oh, and… the chapter's also a bit cheesy. Actually._

_(Oh yeah, and I still don't own any Marshmallow Fluff recipes or Glee content.)_

* * *

Chapter 16: Lots of Fluff

(Originally entitled: Payback)

.

.

**Good morning, Handsome!**

Kurt grabbed a hand-towel by the sink so he could pick up his phone and reply to the text from Blaine.

-Morning? Wow, YOU slept in, huh? Lucky.

**LOL *yawn *stretch! How's your cousin's birthday party?**

-Soooooo cute. I thought 1 yr old, party's not for her, really for the parents, but she was SO adorable loving all the attention.

**Name again? Happy? Halley? Humphrey?**

-Haha! Hannah.

**Wait, are you not there anymore?**

-Sweetheart, it is after 2. You slept this late really? I'm back home already.

**Home like home or Dalton home?**

-Dalton! I had an experiment to get back to.

**Uuuuummmm… Kurt…? WHERE exactly are you right now?**

-I'm in the kitchen.

Kurt's phone immediately rang.

He answered, "Yes, Blaine?"

"Kurt, Sweetie Gorgeous, what exactly is it you're working on right now in the kitchen?" The tone was how you would ask a kid if they were getting into the cookie jar a half hour before dinner.

"I don't care to say." Kurt's tone was definitely total flirt.

There was some soft laughter that might have contained an "oh no" in there before the phone cut out and Kurt fixed his hair knowing Blaine could make it there from his dorm in a matter of minutes. Sometimes it was more like a matter of minute.

"HOW did I know it would be Fluff?" Blaine grabbed him from behind and kissed his neck, twirling him around to face him and giving him a look that begged an explanation for the Fluff, with the added raising of an eyebrow for comical impact.

"It's just that… when you're faced with so much fluff, you almost HAVE to find something creative to do with it!"

"OK, so what IS this? Some kind of creative… food thing, or is this a craft project?" Blaine had a point. There were three bowls; one with popcorn, one with Rice Chex cereal and one with… you had to be kidding… tuna.

"I'm… experimenting. Fluff could make a great snack out of one of these."

"Kurt. Beautiful. No. I'm taking you… away from all this. Put the tuna down. I'll just take that spoon out of your hand now… Kurt… Keep the fluff away from the tuna. Gorgeous, I'm serious. I think you may have a problem. Let's just put the tuna in the fridge now, so it can carry out its life's mission of becoming a normal sandwich for someone who respects it for what it's truly meant to be, and I'll take you out for some nice creative snacks made by some professionals… sound good?"

When they got to the university coffee shop, the subject of what to order that would be better than what Kurt had been working on at home of course came up, so the subject of the dangers of Fluff of course came up as well. Their laughter alone would have brought Peter out from behind his sandwich board, but the mention of fluffernutter hilarity perked up his interest especially.

The girl making their coffees while they read over today's colorfully-written sandwich menu on the chalkboard looked up at Peter when he referred to one of the drinks she was making. "Hey, Medium Drip! Kurt!" Since he had only looked right at the boys as he said that, she got a confused look on her face but carried on with the coffee making.

Before Peter could ask them the question on his mind, Blaine cut in. "Why is he Kurt now, and I'm still Medium Drip?"

"Ah, Raspberry Fields doesn't really have the staying power to be a nickname with any longevity, does it?"

"And Medium Drip does?" Blaine asked with mock indignation. Kurt was all smiles. Devilish smiles at that.

"Of course." Peter stated as though that was a given, self-evident.

His eyes squinted a look at Peter that said "I'm gonna get you" and as soon as Blaine thought that, he realized it was true. It was time for payback.

Peter was interested in the failed fluffernutter sandwiches and the unfairly thwarted (according to Kurt) efforts at inventing a new fluff snack. After bringing them their perfectly crisp and melty grilled cheese and tomato sandwich and their spearmint iced teas, he asked Kurt what he had been planning to do with the tuna and fluff. Kurt couldn't say, as he hadn't gotten that far when Blaine took him away from the tuna. Peter never the less looked suddenly inspired and darted back to the sandwich board announcing that he had an idea for a new dish.

"Do you realize that neither one of us has ever eaten a whole sandwich in here? We've only always shared one, and never get our own." Kurt had just pulled the two halves of the sandwich apart, and Blaine was doing one of those ridiculous things he does that always make Kurt think, "only Blaine…" which was using both hands to capture the melting cheese as it fell from between the two halves of the sandwich, before it could all hit the plate. He worked with that stringy melty yummy goodness as if he were a kid playing cat's cradle with string, and brought some of it over his mouth, throwing his head back to catch the falling strings, and tried to simultaneously deliver the rest of it with his other hand over to Kurt's mouth for him to do the same.

OK, so Blaine may be good with his hands, but he's not THAT good! Kurt did not risk the impending cheese-face inevitability, opting instead to give Blaine a "You really don't know me by now?" look, forcing Blaine to have to think quickly for something else to do with that portion of the cheese, bringing his head back forward to see better, thus ending up with the cheese face that had not been otherwise inevitable on his end of things. Kurt took pity on him and caught the wrist of the hand with his cheese offering, brought it to his mouth, and took care of at least that part, smiling deeply into Blaine's eyes and laughing at him as he licked the cheese off Blaine's fingers.

Blaine forgot the cheese on his other hand and his chin for that moment and just stared at Kurt and practically vibrated while that was happening. Kurt took that cue to push a little further… this was, after all, a familiar and already known by them to be a welcoming environment here in this particular favorite coffee shop of theirs, and Blaine was the last one to push the PDA here as innocent as that time was, just a kiss… so he leaned across the little table, took Blaine's other hand, held it, cheese and all, and began to lick the cheese off of Blaine's chin until it turned into a kiss. All cheese taken care of. Except for the cheese on Blaine's other hand. Another opportunity…

Blaine seemed lost in the kiss, lost in Kurt. Good signs all. So Kurt pointedly assessed him up and down with his eyes and asked him, "Would you like me to take care of your other hand, Sweetheart?"

Blaine could only manage a quick couple nods and a little lusty, or kind of shocked in a good way, out-breath.

He melted like the middle of their sandwich as Kurt captured each finger with his lips for cheese-removal services, one at a time. Blaine clearly had no qualms about public displays by the point when he simply had to use his previously de-cheesed hand to gather the hair on the back of Kurt's head into his fingers and pull his boyfriend in for a seriously-not-appropriate-for-a-family-coffee-shop-so-thank-goodness-it's-the-university-coffee-shop long kiss.

_Success!_ Thought Kurt. _Ah, all it took was a little cheesiness. Should have guessed. That's so Blaine._

Every once in a while, Peter's head would pop up from behind his area to see if they were ready for his questions… he was bursting to ask them their opinion on his ideas for his invention. He wondered if another quiche-type-thing would sell, since the last one didn't do so well. He wondered if Kurt and Blaine like tuna sandwiches made with the super-sweet Miracle Whip or with lots of sweet relish. He had to wait a while until his friends were no longer having a private moment. And then, finally, he brought out a couple crackers with tuna salad on them for the guys to try.

They both agreed the tuna was pretty darn good. "Fluff!" Peter announced. "It has a little mayo and a lot of Fluff!"

Blaine made a face as though he'd been tricked into eating turtle meat or something, but then he conceded that Peter had come up with a successful recipe, if one HAD to combine tuna and Fluff.

"It's not enough, though. I need something new and different again, like that shepherd's pie we did a while back, or the awesome Indian pudding…" Peter floated back to the kitchen deep in thought.

Blaine smiled boyishly at Kurt and held his hand the whole time they were finishing the tomato and cheese melted yummy goodness that was that awesome perfect sandwich.

They sipped at their spearmint iced teas and Blaine swung his feet back and forth under his chair and the table, which Kurt felt the need to put a stop to by stretching out his own lanky legs and catching those feet mid-swing, keeping them still within his ankles' steady hold. Well, when one part of Blaine stops moving another has to start, which Kurt knows well, so he started playing with Kurt's hands on the table. _Much better_.

Eventually Peter's head popped up again, and he called out, "Tuna Fluff Casserole!"

It had been a while since he'd said anything, so the guys didn't have the subject of his recipe adventure in their minds at the moment, and it sounded to both of them like he was calling out someone's name. Blaine came to first, and asked him, "What's a tuna fluff casserole?"

"It's gonna be my next super awesome lunch dish. Tuna Fluff Casserole! Do you think it'll work?"

Kurt watched as Blaine's smile grew to a grin and a mischievous one at that. Kurt could figure out exactly what Blaine was thinking. Blaine said out loud, "Oh, yeah. That'll work. Tuna Fluff Casserole? That'll do just fine."

It would only catch on with their friends… but since one of Blaine's friends was Peter's coworker who loved using nicknames all the time, and another of Blaine's friends was Peter's girlfriend who was tired of being called "Goodness" in public instead of "Goddess," it would work out nicely.

Saying their goodbyes, Blaine called out the inaugural greeting of "Later, Tuna Fluff Casserole" and Peter looked up in time to see them already out the door and thought, _Oh, No._

.

.

.

* * *

OK, uuuum… Fluffiest, cheesiest chapter ever. Sorry! lolz

And Lots of Fluff to you all.


	17. Chapter 17: Support

Life preventing fiction writing! Blast!

I feel so bad, because of follows and favorites and hits… I hope you're saving it for later with those adds, and not waiting for each posting, since I've been so bad.

Do review or PM me with any requests as always. Or to yell at me. Or especially anything you don't want me to brush past or shorten on my way to the main conclusions in the last few chapters.

(I don't have anything at all to do with Glee. Thank you.)

.

* * *

Chapter 17: Support

.

From: Rachel

To: Charles

Subject: Marcia gave lines to Dave!

Charles, is your friend Mark still around, or is he in college already? I forget if he was a senior last year when we did "Our Town" at MTG.

He was so great as the narrator, and at coaching us.

The reason I'm asking is because Dave Karofsky was given lines at rehearsal tonight, after you left.

Marcia was all about "utilizing our potential" when she was giving notes tonight, which you missed when you skipped out early, lucky.

Dave was complaining to me that he didn't want to take over that part at the last minute, until I told him I had an old friend who is awesome as an acting coach.

Remember how Mark helped you and me in that scene we had with -oh goodness what was his name? I can't believe I forget! Mark's boyfriend, what was his name? I'm so sorry. Anyway, the three of us were transformed by his coaching then!

If Mark's still around, can you ask him if he'd be willing to meet with Dave?

Thank you so much!

See you soon.

Hugs and kisses,

Rachel

* * *

Dave felt set up. He had agreed to meet with this old friend of Rachel's because it was only about a week and a half until "Funny Girl" opened, and he had to build up his confidence to walk out in that scene and say his lines, even though it was only two lines, and a grand total of 7 words. Stupid lines. He was having fun being a part of this production until he had to start figuring out how to handle these lines. So he met with Mark. But once Mark casually dropped a comment about his "boyfriend at the time," he realized that Rachel might have been trying to help him get over that Jordan guy turning out to be an idiot rather than trying to help him with his acting. The girl was actually trying to set him up on a date!

Then again, maybe she wasn't thinking that at all. Mark had only talked about acting the entire time they were having burgers at the diner so far, and he had watched the last half of rehearsal tonight, and Charles and he had chatted with Mark afterward all about the show and acting. No other subject had come up all night. Rachel wasn't even at tonight's rehearsal. So maybe she was only thinking about Mark's abilities at acting and coaching others. Well… damn. Wait, what? Why would he think "damn?" Oh, no. He couldn't be feeling disappointed thinking it _wasn't_ a set-up?

Alright, so Mark was one of those guys who knows the right thing to say all the time, and knows how to act all sophisticated and kind of like the ideal man when needed but then can just kick back and be a cool guy and wolf down a burger and a shake with you, and look really good doing it… damn.

"Did Charles say that you're a theatre major?" Dave took the leap to be the first to ask anything personal.

"Not yet, it's only my freshman year, I haven't decided. I might go into psychology, with a theatre minor. But I'm hoping to transfer to University of Miami at Ohio."

"Oh wow, that's one of the schools I'm applying to."

"You're a senior?"

And so the conversation sticking to only acting and tonight's rehearsal and Dave's lines was over. The rest was about, well, everything and nothing.

Dave hardly remembered any of the rest of what they said the moment after they said anything, because his mind was buzzing with how he was going to find a way to ask this guy out. He was a year older, and he'd had boyfriends before or at least one for sure, and he was here to help him out with his acting as a favor… how was he going to do this? And why did the guy have to keep brushing those dark chestnut bangs off his forehead like that? They were so askew to start with, it was like they had a life of their own, trying to get Dave's hands on them or something, and every time Mark ran his fingers through them like that it made it even more sexy… _there he goes again, those fingers, that hair, does he even know what it's doing to me? Is he doing it on purpose? _

"Let me get this," Dave started, when the waitress dropped off the bill, but Mark grabbed the bill out of his hand. Dave couldn't finish his sentence because of the fingers sliding along his to take the bill from him. Was that intentional? It's a big slip of paper, he could have grabbed it anywhere, he didn't have to touch me to get it.

"Don't be silly. This was fun. You don't need to pay for mine."

Dave tried again as soon as he got his voice back. "Seriously Mark, Rachel asked you to help me with those lines, and this has been a huge help. The least I can do is get this."

"Tell you what," Mark said into his eyes and then quickly looked back at the bill, "If you rock at those lines next week, you can get the next one."

_Whoa. Next one. Maybe he just means as friends. I don't know. That look on his face, like he's nervous about what he just said. I don't know. Oh, damn, I wish I knew._ All Dave could get out was a little chuckle and "Alright. Fair enough."

In the parking lot behind the strip of shops and restaurants, they remembered that they had found parking spots in opposite directions earlier, so they paused to say goodbye.

"Well thank you for this. It really was a big help."

Mark kept his eyes everywhere but on Dave. "Yeah, not a problem. It was… my pleasure." He managed to get his eyes to dart up for a quick peek at Dave's.

OK, so Dave definitely recognized this from the girls he'd asked out in the past. This was his chance. He took a step just a tiny bit closer, just enough to get Mark's attention to look back up at him, and then as soon as he had his eyes, "Can I thank you with maybe another dinner sometime, or, like… a movie?" That should make it pretty obvious, he figured.

It worked. Mark looked away again, but developed a big smile, and there would probably be a blush visible too if he had any less of a rugged olive-skinned complexion. "Yeah, ok. I'd like that."

_Oh, WOW! _ Dave's brain was flying away with him and he tried to rein himself in. _Cool. OK… cool. Good. Just be cool and set a date._ "So… I'll call you tomorrow and we can set it up?"

"Yeah." Mark looked up into his eyes again, finally. "Talk to you then, Dave."

Dave smiled, and was about to turn around to walk to his car, when Mark suddenly kissed him on the cheek and then quickly turned to head to his car.

Dave headed for his car and resisted the urge to turn back and watch him walk away, wondering why that one peck on the cheek felt like so much more than all the kissing with Jordan, and more than anything he'd ever done with any girl.

His car was further down than he remembered, since the lot had been so full when they had arrived earlier.

"Hey! Faggot!"

The yell came from too nearby. Dave turned toward the sound, and the ones who'd yelled it were definitely not high school boys. And they definitely were not smaller than Dave.

Karofsky has a habit he can't even remember when it started, of automatically seeing in his head how he would fight someone in any situation if he had to. He felt in the space of one split second that he had let his guard down and left himself vulnerable and Mark with him. Stupid!

His mind clicked through scenarios and countermoves, but the only outcome he could see was that there was no hope.

He looked toward Mark's end of the parking lot, and saw his car pulling out into the traffic. Good.

* * *

Puck was leaning against Santana's locker trying to exude as nonchalant and cool a look and attitude as possible while she only met him with a cold, hard stare completely masking the fact that of course he looked mad sexy to her there, and she merely told him, "Move Yourself Off the Locker. I have class."

As he began to do as he was told, but with an _I know you want me_ smirk on his face, he saw Karofsky walk past looking like he had a slight limp maybe, and thought it was odd that he had a bruise on the side of his forehead.

It was morning, before their first classes, and he had seen Karofsky leave lacrosse practice yesterday afternoon unscathed by any stray lacrosse sticks or those occasional random rocks on the edges of the field that were the bane of their existence in the early spring on that stupid practice field.

He finished peeling himself off the locker quite quickly once he saw that limp, and turned to follow Karofsky as he passed. "Dave, yo. Hey. Karofsky! Wait up."

It took a while in the empty gym for Puck to push past all of Dave's denials and brush-offs and find out that Dave was actually trying to get away with not telling anyone what happened and just letting it pass. He actually was planning to just heal on his own and call it a sports injury. It took another long time for Puck to talk him into letting him take him to the hospital just to be on the safe side and get his ankle looked at.

He finally convinced him by bringing up the fact that coach Beiste would personally make his life hell if he missed a week of practice because he didn't get a possible busted ankle looked at.

Dave hadn't told him why the dudes had jumped him, and Puck could tell there was something else going on that was way beyond him, so he sent a quick text to Finn from the waiting room.

* * *

Rachel was the first to show up at the hospital instead of math class. "I got your text, Noah. Where is he?"

"What? He's in getting an x-ray. I didn't text you."

"I saw Finn's text, same thing, whatever."

Puck sat back and gave her a look like she's crazy, but shook his head with a light chuckle. For all her brass, this girl had more heart than anyone he knew.

"When was he beat up, Noah? And where was he?"

"I didn't say he was beat up. I only texted Finn that he got in a fight with some dudes and hurt his ankle. He scared THEM off, by the way. That's what he did to his ankle."

"Where, Noah! When?"

"I don't know. I think he only said 'downtown' or something. It was yesterday."

"Well do you at least know if it was before or after dark?"

"I don't know... Yeah I think it was definitely night. Why?"

She was on her phone to Kurt before the end of his sentence.

When Karofsky walked out wearing an ankle brace, he was greeted by four members of his football and lacrosse teams including Finn and Puck. The other guys were two of his usual partners in bullying the halls, and he felt a quick pang of... something... maybe anxiety, regret, fear, guilt, who knows. It was just uncomfortable. He shook that feeling aside and buried it as much as he could and allowed a couple of shoulder punches and all that from the guys. "I'm fine man, I'm fine. None of you had to come out."

Mike and Artie came into the waiting room at that point and Mike demanded, "What happened, where is he?"

Behind them were Quinn, Mercedes and Tina.

It was something about the way Karofsky was looking at the other people instead of them, and maybe the fact that they were so outnumbered, but the two bullies started to fade back, letting themselves be crowded out further from Dave.

Mercedes and Tina were both talking at once, admonishing him for getting into a fight and asking him what happened without giving him the chance to respond, and lecturing him some more about not fighting, and saving it for the lacrosse field.

This was all a bit too much for the two jocks, who left and came back with a cup of coffee and handed it to Karofsky. He took it and mumbled a thanks, then they chucked him on the shoulder saying they'd head back to class and asking if he's ready to come with them. He told them he had to wait for the nurse with his insurance paperwork, but to go on ahead, he was fine.

The jocks felt weird here for some reason, like it should be them driving him back to school instead of Puck, and what were all these choir geeks doing here tagging along with Finn and Puck and Mike like they can't do anything without hanging off of their athlete friends or something. But they noticed Dave looked like he'd rather talk to all of them right now, which just kind of freaked them out so they left.

As he saw them steaming through the revolving doors, and was sorting through his head for answers to all the questions suddenly springing forth from all the New Directions members at once, he strangely felt... more like one of them than one of those jocks. It felt kind of... right.

He brought his head down into his hands and sat down in one of the chairs. Rachel followed right next to him and put her hand on his knee. "Tell me, Dave. Were you with Mark when this happened?"

Dave's head shot up to look at her in shock and in the next second realized of course she knew that he was going to the diner with Mark last night. But it was the implication that she was guessing something else that got him. His eyes darted along the tile patterns on the floor and wall trying to think of a way out of this subject. When he couldn't think of any, he felt as trapped as he had last night when he saw he had no way to overpower or get away from those guys, and his head went back into his hands trying to stop the dumb tears from forming.

Blaine asked Rachel, "Who's Mark?" Everyone but Dave looked over to see that Kurt and Blaine had just walked up to them.

"He's a friend of Charles I set him up with. I MEAN," she quickly caught herself and tried to backtrack, "he's an old friend who's a really good acting coach, and he was helping David last night with his role in Funny Girl."

Finn said to Karofsky, "You're doing _community theatre_?" and Quinn punched him to shut up.

Blaine asked, "Is Mark OK?"

Dave sat up now, like he was resigned to tackling the subject finally. "He was already driving off when they came out of nowhere. It's good, because he didn't deserve this."

Kurt stepped up to Dave and got down to his level to put his hands on his shoulders so that he'd have his attention. "Dave. YOU did not deserve this."

Dave leaned back in the chair with his arms crossed and shook his head in a way that meant _you're wrong, I'm right._

"Dave," was all Kurt said. It was all he could think of. Dave's eyes went to Blaine who merely nodded to him and looked at the floor before looking back up and right into his eyes, and that is what caused him to break down. As he quickly looked up to see that the two jocks were gone and it was only New Directions in the waiting room, he tried to mask the tear from one of his eyes by pretending like he was just reaching for his aching head, but Kurt wouldn't allow that and he pulled him in for a hug.

He couldn't believe this. Kurt shouldn't even forgive him for what he did to him for years, let alone stick up for him now. "I did nothing but hurt you for two years. I threw you in the dumpster. I shoved you, I... was always so angry at you... I..." His sobs stopped him from speaking further.

Kurt sat in the chair next to him, but kept a hand on his shoulder. "Dave. What they did was so much worse."

Karofsky only shook his head in his hands. Then he practically whispered, "They didn't do anything."

Blaine spoke up, "They shouldn't have even been there. They shouldn't have even approached you, let alone fight you."

Able to notice that this really wasn't the big deal to Karofsky, that he was used to getting into fights, and that part was not what was bothering him, Kurt continued. "As much as you did hurt me, you're coming to terms with why you acted that way and you've been trying to make up for it. You're the last person I'd want to see victimized by some homophobic violent bastards."

Now some of the others who hadn't realized that part of this began to catch on. Tina and Mercedes looked at each other wide-eyed, and then went over and both hugged Dave together. Quinn followed suit, and the guys all put hands on him. He pulled his head out of his hands and hugged the girls back.

"I threw Slushies at all of you. I was such an a$$#^)* to you."

"That doesn't mean you deserve to have something like this happen," Mercedes said, adding, "Those guys had no business touching you, and you should go to the police."

Dave just nodded.

Blaine sat next to Kurt, holding his hand, and Dave looked to both of them as Kurt told him, "Dave, you're a good guy. You had trouble in the past and you're getting beyond it. We want to support you. We all do."

The fact that Dave couldn't stop tears from falling at this point got him another hug from Kurt. And Dave's life was irreversibly changed. It was the first time he felt that he might have true courage inside himself waiting to come out.

* * *

Santana and Brittany wouldn't hear about Dave until the next day, since they had skipped school together.

After Puck had followed Karofsky down the hall, Santana had turned around to walk off to class, and there was Brittany.

"Did you send me a moon the other night?" Brittany's question was so strange that all Santana could do was cup her hands around the girl's face and ask back, "Why are you so adorable?"

While Brittany was pondering that question and coming up with valid answers to it, (good genes, it's the way I tilt my head when I say things, etc.) Santana took her hand and pulled her out to her car. Once they were making out in the car, Santana figured why not just start the car and go on over to Brittany's house?

And that is how they ended up back in bed together after their long recent hiatus, with Brittany getting all philosophical about it again afterward rather than just enjoying some more cuddles.

"You know how you say that this isn't cheating, because the plumbing's different?" Brittany asked, sitting on the opposite side of the bed, pulling on her shirt.

Santana finished adjusting hers too, replying, "mm hmm."

"Well… I don't know. It feels like cheating. I mean, like… especially today. Today definitely felt like cheating. Maybe the plumbing's different, but the feelings aren't. Mine, anyway. But it definitely feels like something today… like, the way you're looking at me and stuff…"

Santana took a huge breath, and then turned to face Brittany. She looked into her eyes, and then faltered… and looked back down at nothing. But then she got up and walked over to lean down in front of Britt at the side of the bed, so she was face-to-face. She took a moment to build up her courage and steady her voice, and said, "It's different today because today I know I love you, Britt. So it probably was cheating today. I'm sorry."

"Oh my god, we totally just cheated on Artie, then, because… I guess I love you more than Artie. Or I don't know. It's different. It's like, I love him for who he is and how he is and how he makes me feel, but I love you for no reason at all."

"Huh?"

"I have no reasons. It's like I don't need to figure out why. You're my whole world. It's just all the love there is, and that's all."

"Oh, my god, Brittany… come here." And they cheated again. But Brittany is as good with people as she is with random math, so she eventually worked things out with Artie who was not heartbroken as he came to realize that this was another high school relationship with someone he truly admires and loves in a way but not in that until-the-end-of-time kind of feeling of love along the lines of what Santana and Brittany were feeling about each other. He'd be fine. And so would they.

* * *

When Kurt and Blaine got back to Dalton from the hospital, it was only half way through the school day. It would be right about the middle of the biology class they had together, and they decided walking in now would just be weird. So they enjoyed a little time together basking in the Spring sunshine in the empty gardens before heading back in to their next class.

Blaine chose a tree and plopped down in front of it, leaned against it, and gestured for Kurt to join him. Kurt gave him a _you've got to be kidding me_ look.

"On my _lap_, silly."

Still looking at him with mock-distrust, Kurt relented and carefully settled into his lap. "Are you sure I'm not too heavy?"

"You're fine. It's comfy." Blaine breathed in the scent of Kurt's hair and settled his face into his neck. "I'd never let anything happen to you, Kurt."

He knew he meant that in terms of keeping him safely on his lap away from the ground and all, but it made Kurt lose his breath for a second.

"You're thinking about Dave, aren't you?" Blaine asked, holding him tighter.

"He was the only one who could protect me from him when I was back at McKinley, you know?"

Blaine considered this for a minute, nuzzling his nose against Kurt's neck and cheek a bit. "How is that?"

"The guys all said they'd protect me in the halls, watch out for him, form a perimeter around me at all times, it was so ridiculous. But in the end, the only thing that could ever prevent him from harming me anymore was him, coming to terms with himself."

"Those guys who picked a fight with him… is that what you're thinking? That there will always be someone else out there?"

"No, I wasn't. Now I am, thanks! And Blaine, they didn't just pick a fight with him. You know what he told me before we left?" Blaine ran his cheek along Kurt's jaw as a way of asking "what?" Kurt continued, "He said they yelled out 'Faggot' and he had to show them he was a stronger and a dirtier fighter than they were in order to get them to leave, otherwise they would have actually beat him. Just for being gay. He said he really didn't want to fight people anymore, but I say it's lucky he had that background in this particular case. I was actually thinking _good._ Sick the old Karofsky on their asses and let them feel some pain. I hoped that he hurt them all before they ran off. But I wish I didn't think that way."

"It's alright. You can be mad for awhile. There's nothing wrong with feeling that. You'll get over it, and then you'll probably come up with some stunning way to change everyone's hearts in some amazing way. That's the way you are."

"Where did you come from? Seriously. Blaine, I don't know what I'd do without you."

"You'd be on the grass right now without me…"

"No, I wouldn't. I wouldn't be anywhere near grass right now!"

Laughing, Blaine pulled him in even tighter and kissed him hugely on the cheek. "Well I'm always going to do my best to be here for you. And really Kurt, I will never let anything happen to you."

"Or my pants?" Now it was Kurt laughing.

"Hey! I'll never make you sit in the grass. I know it would bug you all day even if you confirmed yourself in a mirror that nothing at all had stained your impeccable clothing."

_"How_ does it not bother you? You're sitting right in the grass, and with my extra weight on you and everything."

"It'll be fine. I swear, nothing can stain or even show up on this stupid polyester fabric."

"Ugh. Stupid polyester is right. I can't wait to get out of these things."

Three things flashed through Blaine's mind in rapid succession. 1. Does he mean every day after school, or some day soon he won't need to wear them anymore because he'll leave Dalton? 2. _I_ can't wait to get him out of those things. 3. I should not have thought that. Dammit Blaine, be a damn gentleman.

Kurt leaned back slightly, so Blaine moved his feet back picking up his knees, until Kurt was leaning back against him like a lounge chair. Their arms were intertwined around Kurt's waist, Blaine's fingers caressing and Kurt letting out a big sigh. That was enough to set Blaine's lips free all along that silky neck and rough jawline and up to nip at sensitive earlobes. In this position, Kurt was trapped with no way to move away from the surprise attack, not that his thoughts were on anything other than staying happily trapped right here. He did try to turn and join in with a counter-attack, but Blaine held him fast, forcing him to stay still, unable to do anything but take the attentions of his lips and tongue and gently scraping teeth. Finally it was way too much for Kurt and he ripped himself free and straddled Blaine, not caring that his knees were in the grass now. He had to have those lips. He had to penetrate that mouth. He had to feel Blaine's tongue on his and mess that damn perfect hair up until it was thoroughly raked-through and redesigned by Kurt's lusty and talented fingers.

His hair always looked a lot better whenever Kurt gave him his lovey-make-overs in these kinds of situations. But usually he didn't have to walk right back into school afterward, and he worried about what people might think he was up to. Well… they would think he was up to exactly what he was up to. Taking full advantage of sweet innocent Kurt. He should stop this. He should get Kurt's poor knees up off the grass. He's gonna hate himself when he feels the grassy moisture from the ground on those knees any second now. Oh man, but his hands in my hair, and his lips, and I just have to drink him in a little bit more, and he's letting my hand roam up his back under his shirt oh my… g… "Kurt…" oh… I shouldn't be doing this, but his skin is so soft, and his muscles… just… I have to… feel… a little more…

Kurt tried to say Blaine's name but he could only whimper as he sought to kiss him deeper than he'd ever even thought about before. There was something about this moment, the way Blaine had gasped his name, and the way Blaine's face looked when he couldn't even open his eyes or stop moving his lips with Kurt's or stop feeling Kurt's back, and oh Gaga, he was caressing down toward his belt, oh don't stop…

His hands balled up in Blaine's hair, Kurt let out a moan as Blaine's hips rose upwards as though of their own accord, and then Blaine suddenly seemed to take himself under control and turned it into a repositioning so that he was helping Kurt up off the grass, and back onto his lap again, holding Kurt's hips in a much more steadying fashion than anything else, bringing their kisses down to a more sane pace and then reaching up to hold his cheek and brush his thumb along one of Kurt's beautiful eyebrows with one last slow and tender kiss.

With a huge shuttering sigh, he whispered into Kurt's ear, making him shiver from the brush of his breath, "I guess we should get in to class soon…"

Even though they still had at least 20 minutes, Kurt only said, "OK…" and smoothed Blaine's jacket out along his chest and then tried to fix his hair for him, to the best results he could manage between dapper and obviously-just-ravished.

He may have stopped himself just in time, and it may be killing him to hold back as long as it takes, but as Blaine gazed up at his boyfriend's adorable attempts to smooth out his happily messed up hair, all he could think was that he was the luckiest guy in the world to have such a problem as this.

* * *

LoungeChair!Blaine – so cute. So conflicted.

No spoilers, though!

Although… I have to say that… you probably could guess that the main and most important Original Song the title refers to will be a big number for Rachel. It's for the grand finale of the whole story of course, and the final "Blaine's song" was going to be some obscure song by a local band or a friend of mine or even one I'd write myself, rather than stealing another song from Darren Criss and giving it to Blaine again….

BUT after STARSHIP… I can't help it! The guy is a lyrical genius and that soundtrack contains the absolute perfect song for that grand finale scene in this story. It fits perfectly. Amazing. So I will once again have to apologize for pretending that a real song by a real musical score composer was written in some private high school dorm room by my copy of a fictional character and was then chosen by my copy of Rachel. But… um… it'll be an epic performance by her. Well, I hope. In my head it is anyway. In, like 8 chapters from now. With any luck those will not take 9 years for me to write. So sorry!

I will seriously try to be better and find the time.

Until next chapter, Lots of Fluff to you all!


End file.
